Comparative Diagnostic Accuracy of Sonographic Strain Elastography and FNAC in Breast Lesions

Introduction: Various sonographic techniques have been developed to study the relationship between different structures and tissue elasticity. Detecting malignant tumors using ultrasound elastography is quite useful. The mechanical properties of the tissue under examination can be examined in real time using elastography to detect pathological changes. A high-frequency ultrasonic scanner measures a tissue's modulus of elasticity to compute stretching changes in displacement. Aims & Objectives: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of sonographic strain elastography in breast lesions keeping FNAC as gold standard. Place and duration of study: Radiology Department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital from Aug 2019 to Jan 2020. Material &Methods: The cross-sectional validation study was conducted at the Radiology Department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi Medical University, from Aug 2019 to Jan 2020. 259 patients were selected by consecutive non-probability sampling. After taking demographic information, all patients received sonographic elastography. Lesions were classified using the Ueno system and pressure bar, and FNAC was conducted. SPSS 20 was used to enter and evaluate the gathered data. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, likelihood ratio, and accuracy of strain elastography were calculated using FNAC as the gold standard. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of elastography to detect malignancy was 92.2 %, 96.2%, 91.0%, 96.7% and 94.98% respectively. Likelihood ratio was 215.449 (p value <0.0001). The results showed no significant impact of confounders. Conclusion: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of elastography to detect malignancy was 92.2 %, 96.2%, 91.0%, 96.7% and 94.98% respectively. the likelihood ratio was 215.449 (p-value <0.0001).