To assess the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of breast lesions with ductal dilatation.

A retrospective analysis was performed on the CEUS data and pathological data of 65 breast lesions with ductal dilatation. All of the 65 patients were enrolled at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from October 2016 to October 2018. All patients were operated or punctured to obtain pathological results. CEUS was used to determine the presence or absence of solid lesions in dilated ducts, and the enhancement degree, homogeneity, anterior and posterior diameters, feeding vessels, and enhanced margins of the solid lesions were observed.

Among 65 dilated ducts, 13 had no solidlesions and 52 had solidlesions (32 benign lesionsand 20 malignant lesions). After CEUS examination, the diagnostic confidence index of judging whether there were solid lesions in the duct increased significantly (P=0.000). Malignant intraductal lesions were characterized by feeding vessels around the lesions, enlargement of anterior and posterior diameters, and irregular margins of the lesions after enhancement, which differed significantly compared with those of benign intraductal lesions (P=0.006, 0.002, and 0.000, respectively).

CEUS can improve the diagnostic confidence index for intraductal parenchymal lesions and effectively diagnose benign and malignant lesions in the duct.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound; Breast diseases; Ductal dilatation