Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Mammary Tumors in Bitches

The aim of this study was to characterize the ultrasonographic patterns of benign and malignant mammary tumors and to evaluate the efficacy of ultrasonographic imaging to distinguish benign and malignant tumors in dogs. Shape, margins, width-to-craniocaudal (CC) dimension ratio, echotexture, echogenicity, presence of calcification, presence of pseudocapsule, size (the deepest and longest axis) and acoustic transmission of tumors were evaluated. The ultrasonography features and the tissue diagnosis of benign tumor were oval or round (80% of masses with this feature were benign), and circumscribed margins (95% were benign). The features most predictive of a malignant tumor diagnosis were spiculated or microlobulated margins (76% of masses with this feature were malignant), and irregular shape (78% were malignant). No differences between the benign and malignant groups for width-to-CC dimension ratio >1.4 were observed. The benign tumors were seen in different distribution of beign hypoechoic (30%), isoechoic (35%) or varied in echogenicity. It was concluded that, the ultrasonography could be an extremely useful tool for the preevaluation of canine mammary gland tumors, especially in relation to the evaluation of tumor size, shape, border irregularity, echotexture, internal echogenicity and acoustic transmission.