Assessment of relationship among color Doppler flow pattern,vascular distribution and lymph nodes metastasis in breast carcinomas

Abstract

Objective To study the association among the color Doppler flow pattern, vascular distribution and the lymph nodes metastasis in breast carcinomas. Methods Sixty-eight patients with infiltrating mammary gland duct carcinoma were divided into the no-lymph-nodes-metastasis group (group I , 37 cases) and the lymph-nodes-metastasis group (group Ⅱ , 31 cases), group Ⅱ were subdivided into group Ⅱa (19 cases): lateral lymph nodes positive of pectoralis minor and group Ⅱ b (12 cases): rear of pectoralis minor and subclavian lymph node positive. Blood flow parameters [peak systoltc velocity (PSV),resistent index ( RI)] and vascular Alder grades were observed and measured with color Doppler ultrasound.The results were compared with the incidence of lymph node metastasis. Results PSV and RI were not significantly different between group Ⅰ and group Ⅱ (t = -0.19,-0.63,P＞ 0.05),and also between group Ⅱ a and group Ⅱ b (t =-1.12,-013,P ＞0.05). By using vascular Alder grades,there were no significant differences between group Ⅰ and group Ⅱ (x2= 0.46, P＞ 0.05 ), but the significant differences were observed between group Ⅱ a [10.5%(2/19) ,63.2%( 12/19) ,26.3%(5/19) in Alder Ⅰ , Ⅱ , Ⅲ grade] and group Ⅱ b [8.3%( 1/12), 16.7%(2/12),75.0%(9/12)in Alder Ⅰ , Ⅱ ,Ⅲ grade](x2 = 7.41,P＜0.05). Conclusion The pattern of blood flow has no correlation with lymph nodes metastasis, vascular Alder grades of carcinoma shows some relevance with the lymph nodes metastasis in the patients with infiltrating mammary gland duct carcinoma. Key words: Carcinoma,ductal,breast; Lymphatic metastasis; Ultrasonography,Doppler,color; Vascular Aldergrade