[Ultrasonography in the preoperative staging of carcinoma of the breast].

Data relative to 51 patients operated for breast carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had undergone US and mammographic evaluation of max diameter of the neoplastic nodule. The above data were correlated with pathologic measurements of the surgical specimens. US-pathologic correlation coefficient was extremely high (r = 0.94). US proved especially helpful in those cases where mammography had failed to visualize the mass-namely in patients with dense breasts. Nearly all evaluated carcinomas had a typical US pattern: a hypoechoic lesion with irregular outline. US is recommended in evaluating tumor response to nonsurgical conservative treatment.