“Cloud sign” in automated breast volume scanning coronal images for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: In recent years, the incidence of breast cancer has been gradually increasing. The three-level prevention strategy of early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment is particularly important and is the key to improving the survival prognosis of breast cancer. Automated breast volume scanning (ABVS) is a three-dimensional stereoscopic ultrasound imaging technology specifically designed for breast examination. Its unique coronal plane signs provide a new perspective for the diagnosis of breast lesions, allowing for the observation of the boundaries of lesions and their relationship with surrounding tissues, as well as reflecting the morphology and growth patterns of breast nodules. This study takes advantage of the coronal plane advantages of ABVS to analyze the correlation between the "cloudy sign" and molecular biological factors of breast cancer and its distribution characteristics in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. This study evaluated "cloud sign" in ABVS for differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions. Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients with breast lesions who underwent ABVS examinations at The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between January 2020 and January 2022. A total of 187 breast lesions from 185 patients were finally included. Results: 12.5%, P<0.001). The incidence of the "cloud sign" differs significantly among different age groups (P<0.001) and different tumor size groups (P=0.002). In malignant breast lesions, the "cloud sign" is more frequently presented in lesions with infiltrative nature (P=0.03), positive expression of estrogen receptor (ER) (P<0.001), and positive expression of progesterone receptor (PR) (P=0.011). The area under the curve (AUC) of cloud sign, convergence sign and hyperechoic halo in the diagnosis of malignant lesions were 0.807, 0.668, and 0.778, respectively. Conclusions: The results suggest that the cloud sign in ABVS may provide useful diagnostic value for breast lesions. The cloud sign observed in ABVS is a characteristic sign of breast lesions, which holds potential diagnostic value for differentiating between benign and malignant lesions.
Authors: Ruolan Li, Siyu Liang, Siyi Song, Hongyuan Shen, Qiongjuan Zhou, Xiaofang Hong, Tao Liu
Language: English
Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4414484179