Ultrasonographic features of different pathological types of breast phyllodes tumors

Objective To investigate the ultrasonographic features of different pathological types of phyllodes tumors (PT) of breast. Methods The clinical manifestations and sonographic findings were analyzed retrospectively in 132 patients with 136 different subtype PTs. Ultrasonographic features of benign, borderline and malignant types were compared. Results All the lesions were classified into benign (46/136, 33.8%), borderline (62/136, 45.6%) and malignant (28/136, 20.6%). On sonography, most tumors were shown as oval or lobulated (77.9%), well-defined margins (70.6%), and posterior echo enhancement (72.1%). Cystic areas were observed in 36 lesions (26.5%). No significant difference was observed in age, lesion shape, echo patterns, posterior acoustic features or cystic area (P>0.05). Large size, indistinct margins and grade Ⅱ-Ⅲ vascularity were more frequent in borderline and malignant tumors (P=0.002, P=0.028, P<0.001, respectively). Conclusions Phyllodes tumors of breast have certain characteristics on ultrasonography.Large size, unclear margins and rich blood flow signals may indicate malignancy. Key words: Ultrasonography; Breast neoplasms; Phyllodes tumor