Your mammogram may raise questions if a suspicious lesion is found. What’s the next step? Breast ultrasound is a good way to help get the answer.
Typically a breast lesion is either a cyst (a sack filled with fluid) or a solid mass. Many cysts are non-cancerous, may be drained and no further treatment is needed. Solid masses may require a biopsy to determine if they are benign or malignant.
Ultrasound is an accessible, inexpensive way to help determine the difference, or to clarify that additional tests are necessary.
Non-invasive, no radiation
Ultrasound technology like the Philips iU22 sends high-frequency sound waves through the breast where they bounce off surfaces like tissue and fluids and are recorded as ‘echoes’, then transformed into images.
For patients, the great thing about breast ultrasound is that it requires no radiation and is non-invasive. For clinicians, the great thing about Philips ultrasound is that the equipment is sophisticated yet exams are simple, making it easy to achieve superb images.
Quality ultrasound images help your doctor:
- Rule out cysts
- Determine a lesion’s characteristics
- Confirm that more information is needed, (the next step may be a CT or MRI) Establish that a biopsy is indicated
If a biopsy is needed, ultrasound may be used to help guide the procedure.
Support for mammography
In addition to aiding in biopsies of the breast, ultrasound has other benefits:
- Imaging radiographically dense breasts where mammography is inconclusive
- Imaging young, pregnant, or lactating patients with a palpable mass
- Imaging a mass not optimally visualized with mammography due to location
- Identifying suspected abscess in an infected breast
Philips ultrasound stands out
The Philips iU22 is an ideal system for breast ultrasound. Excellent real-time images allow for easier exams and shorter procedure time.
This information is intended to be used for educational purposes only. Philips Healthcare does not offer medical advice and nothing contained in the content is intended to constitute professional advice for medical diagnosis or treatment.