Technical advances in breast ultrasound imaging

Breast sonography plays an integral role in breast imaging. The technical advances in the field have made breast sonography an essential component of the breast imaging evaluation. In its clinical nascence, the role of breast sonography was primarily to differentiate cysts from solid masses. Technical advances such as compound imaging and harmonics have resulted in improved lesion characterization. Other technical advances such as Doppler imaging, extended field-of-view, fremitus imaging, intravenous contrast, computer-aided diagnosis, and elastography have also expanded the clinical applications of breast sonography. While some of these technical advances are still in the research phase, many are available today for clinical use. We will review these technical advances and examine their roles in clinical breast imaging today. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.