在最近一項小規模試驗中發現：“流動檢測”超聲技術能夠成功地將已分化的液體充盈的囊腫與實體組織鑒別出來，從而可能減少從囊腫穿刺抽液的次數，以及傳統超聲波掃描無法區別乳房組織的影像隨訪檢查的次數。

根據美國杜克大學醫學中心研究人員的說法，流體檢測使用傳統的超聲檢測方法，將聲波聚焦于病變部位，使存在于腫塊中的液體產生運動。如果存在液體運動，就可以確定該腫塊不是實體腫塊，而是囊腫，這通常是良性病變。流體檢測軟件可以下載到傳統超聲波檢測儀上，而無需添加任何額外占據空間的設備。

在該項研究中，這種方法將20例建議進行囊腫穿刺抽液病變中的50％精確地鑒別出存在液體的囊腫，在所有7例實體病變中，都成功的發現病變沒有液體運動。

“這種技術在臨床上具有成為傳統乳房超聲檢查的補充工具，使得放射科醫生能夠將良性液體囊腫與實體病變區別開來。在進行傳統超聲波檢查時確診囊腫的能力，將減少患者進行囊腫穿刺抽液檢查的痛苦，同時降低囊腫穿刺檢查手術的醫療保健費用?！盨ujata V. Ghate醫生如此評價說，他是該試驗的研究人員之一。在2005年新奧爾良5月舉行的美國倫琴射線學會年會上，Ghate醫生報道了他的研究成果。

Ultrasound May Reduce Breast Cyst Aspirations
 
“Streaming detection” ultrasound technology successfully identified differentiated fluid-filled cysts from solid masses in a recent pilot study, and has the potential to reduce the number of cyst aspirations and imaging follow-up exams for breast masses that are undefined at traditional ultrasound scanning.

According to investigators from Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC, USA; www.mc.duke.edu), streaming detection uses conventional ultrasound methods to focus sound waves into the lesion to cause movement in any fluid present in the mass. If there is fluid movement, it shows that the mass is a cyst, which is typically benign, instead of a solid mass. The streaming detection software is downloaded onto a conventional ultrasound unit without the need for any additional space-occupying equipment.

In the study, this method was able to accurately identify movement within the fluid-filled cysts in 50% of the 20 lesions recommended for cyst aspirations, and successfully detected the lack of fluid movement in all seven of the solid lesions of the study.

“This technique has the potential to be used as a clinical tool to complement conventional breast ultrasound by allowing radiologists to differentiate a benign fluid-filled cyst from a solid lesion. The ability to confirm a cyst at the time of conventional ultrasound would reduce patient discomfort associated with cyst aspiration and help reduce the health care costs of cyst aspiration procedures,” stated Sujata V. Ghate, M.D., one of the investigators of the study. Dr. Ghate presented his findings at the annual meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society annual meeting held in May 2005 in New Orleans (LA, USA).