Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) values obtained from the internal mammary artery using color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions. In this prospective and observational study, patients with breast lesions underwent standard ultrasonography followed by evaluation with the CDUS method. RI and PI values from the internal mammary artery were measured by experienced radiologists. The analysis revealed significantly higher RI and PI values in malignant lesions compared to benign lesions. High AUC values obtained from the ROC analysis support the diagnostic discriminative power of both parameters. Multivariable logistic regression analyses further demonstrated that RI and PI values independently predicted malignancy, regardless of other clinical factors such as age and lesion size. The findings suggest that RI and PI parameters obtained from the internal mammary artery using CDUS can serve as reliable, non-invasive, and effective tools in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions. These results may provide significant support in early diagnosis and treatment planning.

Key words: Breast Lesions, CDUS, Resistive Index, Pulsatility Index, Malignancy, Benign, Diagnosis, Ultrasonography