Blood flow as a sign of the nature of the formation
Ultrasound of the mammary glands is the main method of examination in women under 40 years of age, when dense glandular tissue makes mammography uninformative. It describes the structure of the gland, the condition of the ducts, identifies cysts, fibroadenomas and nodular formations, and also necessarily includes an examination of regional lymph nodes - axillary, supra- and subclavian.
The Doppler mode evaluates how the found formation is supplied with blood. A simple cyst is avascular: the presence of blood flow inside it immediately transfers the finding to another category and requires closer attention. Fibroadenomas usually have poor peripheral blood flow. Malignant tumors are characterized by pronounced and chaotic internal vascularization with tortuous vessels of irregular course and a high resistance index - a consequence of tumor angiogenesis.
Blood flow is also assessed in the lymph nodes. A normal node receives nutrition through the gate, and its vascular pattern is orderly. With metastatic damage, the gate disappears, and the blood flow becomes peripheral and chaotic. This sign, together with the shape and structure of the node, determines the need for puncture. The optimal time for testing in menstruating women is from the 5th to the 12th day of the cycle.
Ultrasound capabilities
Ultrasound remains the first choice for imaging in almost every situation: it is accessible, safe, does not require radiation, and provides images in real time. It perfectly shows parenchymal organs, fluid formations, walls of hollow organs and soft tissues, and in Doppler mode, blood flow in the vessels.
A separate advantage is the possibility of dynamic tests: the doctor can ask you to strain, change your body position, fill or empty an organ and see how the picture changes. Neither computed tomography nor magnetic resonance imaging provide such an opportunity.
What influences the quality of research
The main enemy of ultrasound is gas: it completely reflects the wave. Therefore, distended intestines can make the pancreas, aorta, and retroperitoneal structures invisible. For the same reason, preparation for examining the abdominal cavity is not a formality, but a condition for a reliable result.
Severe obesity, postoperative scars, bandages and open wounds in the area of interest also have an effect. If the picture turns out to be uninformative, the doctor indicates this in the protocol and recommends an alternative method - computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.
Doppler mode
Dopplerography shows the movement of blood: color mapping reflects the direction of flow, spectral analysis measures velocities and resistance indices. This allows you to assess the patency of the vessel, identify stenosis, thrombus, aneurysm, pathological reflux and the nature of the blood supply to the formation.
Increased blood flow in Doppler mode is an important sign of active inflammation or tumor growth, which is why many organ studies are supplemented with Doppler as a mandatory part of the protocol.