To evaluate the diagnostic value of virtual touch imaging quantification (VTIQ) technique in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant breast lesions.

From September to December 2015, the imaging data of 115 breast lesions in 100 patients confirmed by pathology on conventional ultrasound (2DUS) and VTIQ were retrospectively analyzed. The breast nodules were examined by 2DUS firstly and then the lesions were classified by breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS). The maximum, minimum and average of shear wave velocity (SWV) values were obtained from multiple SWV measurement under the VTIQ speed mode. According to the pathology results, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were plotted to determine the most accurate SWV value and the cut-off value for differential diagnosis. And the diagnosis efficiency was compared between 2DUS and VTIQ.

There were 38 malignant nodules and 77 benign nodules in 115 breast nodules. BI-RADS grading≥4b level was set as the malignant nodules and grading≤ 4a level as the benign nodules. The SWVmax, SWVmin, and SWVmean on VTIQ of benign and malignant breast nodules were (5.11±1.61) m/s, (2.90±0.86) m/s, (3.73±1.02) m/s, and (7.22±0.94) m/s, (4.33±1.31) m/s, (5.73±1.11) m/s. There were significant differences between malignant and benign breast nodules in SWVmax, SWVmin, and SWVmean on VTIQ (t=-7.442, -7.047, -9.356, all P<0.001). Based on the area under curve of ROC, the SWVmean value in the nodule was the best value in comparison with other SWV values. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of diagnose malignant lesion conducted by 2DUS were 89.5%, 85.7%, 87.0%, 0.63 and 0.84, respectively. The cut-off value of VTIQ mean was 4.34 m/s. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for the diagnosis of malignant lesion conducted by VTIQ were 89.5%, 85.7%, 87.0%, 0.76 and 0.95, respectively. The diagnosis efficiency of VTIQ was better than 2DUS.

The study proved that the VTIQ SWVmean is the best parameter for differential diagnosis and VTIQ plays an important role in differential diagnosis of breast nodules.