Technical and Practical Use of Automated Breast Ultrasound in Breast Sonography

Technical and Practical Use of Automated Breast Ultrasound in Breast Sonography is organized by eRADIMAGING.

Release Date: 08/18/2022
Expiration Date: 09/01/2028

Course Description:
In addition to digital mammography, digital breast tomosynthesis, and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diagnostic ultrasound (US)/sonography is a valuable supplementary tool in breast imaging. Breast sonography is often used as an additional breast cancer detection modality in women who have dense breast tissue and a negative mammogram. Sonography is currently the primary imaging modality recommended for guiding breast biopsies and other types of interventional breast procedures for its ability to monitor real-time needle-to-lesion guidance as well as for closer examination of suspicious lesions found on screening mammography. 

However, conventional handheld US (HHUS) has several limitations such as operator dependence, small field-of-view, lack of reproducibility and standardization, as well as requiring a considerable amount of time from the radiologist for scanning oversight. To remedy some of these limitations, the incorporation and use of automated breast ultrasound scanners (ABUS) may be employed. ABUS is a dedicated method that scans the breast in an automated, standardized manner, with a transducer that is larger than that used in conventional breast sonography. It is a 3-dimensional imaging tool that can be used for supplemental screening primarily in women with dense breasts. In order to provide patients with high-quality and thorough breast screenings and in-depth examinations, radiologic technologists and sonographers should be familiar with the unique display mode, imaging features, patient positioning, and artifacts associated with using ABUS, which differ from those used in HHUS. This course will provide a review of breast anatomy, general information about sonography and the physics of sonography, as well as an update on the types of equipment used in breast sonography, the concepts, technical aspects, pitfalls, and the use of ABUS in clinical practice compared with traditional targeted HHUS.

Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, the participant should be able to:

• IDENTIFY the anatomy of the female breast.
• EXPLAIN the steps involved in patient intake procedures and preparation for an automated breast sonography study.
• OUTLINE the American College of Radiology (ACR) clinical guidelines for performing an automated breast sonography study.
• SUMMARIZE the basic concepts of ultrasound physics and in breast sonography and breast ultrasound tomography.
• EXPLAIN the history, basic principles of, instrumentation, scanning techniques, imaging planes, patient positioning, concepts, and image interpretation used in automated breast sonography and handheld scanning devices.
• IDENTIFY the limitations and technical differences between automated breast sonography scanners versus traditional handheld sonography scanners and their roles in breast imaging.
• LIST the various artifacts that may be encountered when performing automated breast sonography studies.
• INTERPRET the appearance of benign and malignant breast masses and their sonographic signs.
• EXPLAIN how computer-assisted detection technologies integrated with an automated breast sonography scanner may assist in diagnosing breast disease.