BSGI more sensitive than ultrasound, mammography

Breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) has greater sensitivity and comparable specificity compared with ultrasound and mammography, according to researchers at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, and it could be a valuable additional procedure when these imaging modalities fail to provide a clear diagnosis.

Dr. Jean Weigert and colleagues compared BSGI with mammography and ultrasound in patients who required further diagnostic imaging because of unclear clinical or radiographic findings. The study included 329 patients who underwent mammography, ultrasound, and BSGI as part of their diagnostic workup.

The researchers conducted the BSGI exams with a high-resolution gamma camera and an intravenous injection of 15 mCi to 25 mCi of technetium-99m sestamibi, taking a minimum of two views for each breast (craniocaudal and mediolateral-oblique).

Sensitivity for mammography, ultrasound, and BSGI was 78%, 84%, and 92%, respectively, while specificity was 79%, 61%, and 67%, respectively, suggesting that BSGI is a useful tool to augment mammography in managing patients with difficult to diagnose breast tissue, Weigert and colleagues concluded.