Breast Ultrasound in Royal Oak, MI
Our specialized, Royal Oak radiologists use breast ultrasound to examine breast lumps, masses, or changes in breast tissue and arrive at an accurate diagnosis in a timely fashion. Whether you're searching for a breast ultrasound near you or trying to understand how it differs from a mammogram, our board-certified radiologists are here to help.
Detect Abnormalities With an Ultrasound of the Breast
Ultrasound is a radiology imaging technology that uses sound waves to visualize lumps, masses, or changes in the breast. These high-frequency sound waves enter the body through a wand known as a transducer and then echo off of tissues to produce an image, or sonogram. Specialized radiologists can interpret these images to distinguish various findings, looking for changes such as masses or a slight pulling of the tissue called architectural distortion. Many of the findings we see on a breast ultrasound are too small or too deep to be felt on examination.
Getting a regular screening mammography offers women the best chance of finding early changes on a mammogram before they can be felt during a clinical or breast self-examination (BSE). If a mass is found on a screening mammogram, then diagnostic radiology imaging such as breast ultrasound or a diagnostic mammogram is recommended to get a closer look at a particular area. The appropriate diagnostic imaging tools for next steps will depend on many factors, including:
- The reason for the exam
- The patient’s age
- Any risk factors such as family history
What Do Radiologists Look for in an Ultrasound?
The radiologist will look for particular criteria of the mass, such as:
Shape
Orientation
The margin of the mass
Lesion boundary
Echo pattern
Posterior acoustic features
This lexicon for masses is called the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), established by the American College of Radiology. The numerical scale ranges from 0-6, with each number corresponding to a classification that estimates your breast cancer risk. This is where experience matters. Together Women’s Health Imaging Center specialized radiologists have decades of experience to help provide a more certain diagnosis.
If we discover an indeterminate or suspicious finding, the radiologist may recommend a needle biopsy to determine if the mass is benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancer). A lesion seen by ultrasound can be biopsied using ultrasound as a guide, even if it cannot be felt on clinical or self-breast examination. The physicians at Together Women’s Health Imaging Center use their extensive clinical experience to determine the need for an ultrasound guided breast biopsy.
Is Ultrasound Better for Dense Breast Tissue?
When Is a Breast Lump Concerning? Understanding Abnormal Breast Lumps
What to Expect During a Breast Ultrasound
Though a mammogram is often the first preventative imaging exam to look for breast cancer, if the Radiologist finds a nodule or mass on the initial screening mammogram, then a breast ultrasound will be recommended to obtain a better view of the mass to help finalize the results. Here’s what to expect if your doctor recommends a breast ultrasound.
Meet Our Radiologists
Frequently Asked Questions About Breast Ultrasounds
Ultrasound is a radiology imaging technology that uses sound waves to characterize masses versus cysts in the breast. Sound waves are emitted from crystals in a hand-held wand called a transducer or probe. The sound waves reflected back are presented as images for interpretation by a specialized radiologist to distinguish various findings. Many of the findings we see on a breast ultrasound are too small or too deep to be felt on examination. Some clinicians will recommend whole breast ultrasound to detect small lesions in the breast before they can be felt. This may be in addition or as a substitute for mammography.
Your doctor may recommend a breast ultrasound if a screening mammogram shows an area that needs a closer look, if you have a palpable breast lump, or if you have dense breast tissue that makes mammograms harder to interpret.
Is a breast ultrasound better than a mammogram? The short answer: they're complementary, not competing. A mammogram is typically the first screening tool; breast ultrasound is used to get a clearer look at something the mammogram found, and it's especially useful for evaluating dense breast tissue, where mammograms alone can miss findings.
Breast self-examination programs are important but alone cannot detect the smallest lesions. Of course, when your clinician finds a bump or a lump of some kind on a clinical exam, he/she will immediately refer the patient for a mammogram. Women with higher than average risk factors may seek additional supplemental imaging such as MRI for strong family history or a whole breast ultrasound for dense tissue.
For example, a well-circumscribed isoechoic oval nodule oriented parallel to the skin with a distinct lesion boundary is most likely to be a benign fibroadenoma. These mass characteristics would be categorized as BI-RADS 3: Probably Benign. On the other hand, an irregular spiculated hypoechoic mass taller than wide with posterior shadowing with surrounding echogenic halo is more likely to be malignant (cancer). This lesion would be categorized as BI-RADS 5 with the recommendation for breast biopsy.
If you are in need of an emergency breast ultrasound, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible so we can see you at one of our many locations in MI.
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Mammogram Screening Near Me
Looking for a breast ultrasound near you in the Royal Oak area? Together Women's Health Imaging Center is a dedicated women's imaging center offering same-week appointments for screening mammograms, diagnostic mammograms, and breast ultrasound exams; no referral required for your first mammogram.
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