BACKGROUND: Capsular contracture around implants is a common complication after breast reconstruction. Strain elastography (STE) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) are noninvasive imaging techniques that can measure tissue stiffness and thickness of the capsule.
OBJECTIVE: The purposes of the study were to compare STE and SWE for measurement of capsular contracture after breast implant reconstruction using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and to investigate the correlation of these data with the Baker score, which is the most frequently used clinical staging scale for capsule contracture.
METHODS: The subjects were 20 patients (27 implants) who underwent breast reconstruction.
RESULTS: The reproducibility of SWE (ICC: 0.878) was higher than that of STE (ICC: 0.724) for measurement of capsular contracture. The correlation coefficient between measurements with the two methods was low (r = 0.6788). The Baker score had a higher correlation with measurements with SWE (r = 0.8124) compared to those with STE (r = 0.6983).
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that SWE is a better tool for assessment of the degree of capsule contracture surrounding implants after breast reconstruction.
MarquesM., BrownS.A., OliveiraI., CordeiroM.N., Morales-HelgueraA., RodriguesA.et al., Long-term follow-up of breast capsule contracture rates in cosmetic and reconstructive cases, Plast Reconstr Surg126(3) (2010), 769–778.
2.
ZahaviA., SklairM.L. and Ad-ElD.D., Capsular contracture of the breast: Working towards a better classification using clinical and radiologic assessment, Ann Plast Surg57(3) (2006), 248–251.
3.
HidalgoD.A. and SinnoS., Current trends and controversies in breast augmentation, Plast Reconstr Surg137(4) (2016), 1142–1150.
4.
MaraJ.E., BakerJ.J.Jr, Diagnosis and treatment of masses in the augmented breast, Rocky Mt Med J75(5) (1978), 255–257.
5.
RzymskiP., KubasikM. and OpalaT., Use of shear wave sonoelastography in capsular contracture before and after secondary surgery: Report of two cases, J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg64(12) (2011), e309–e312.
6.
PrantlL., SchremlS., Fichtner-FeiglS., PöpplN., RollC., Eisenmann-KleinM.et al., [Histological and immunohistochemical investigations with capsular contracture after breast augmentation with smooth silicone gel implants], Handchir Mikrochir Plast Chir38(4) (2006), 224–232.
7.
SowaY., NumajiriT. and NishinoK., Ultrasound shear-wave elastography for follow-up fat induration after breast reconstruction with an autologous flap, Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open3(9) (2015), e518.
8.
SowaY., NumajiriT., ItsukageS. and NishinoK., Comparison of shear-wave and strain ultrasound elastography for reliable detection of fat induration after breast reconstruction, Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open4 (2016), e677.
9.
PrantlL., EnglbrechtM.A., SchoeneichM., KuehlmannB., JungE.M. and KubaleR., Semiquantitative measurements of capsular contracture with elastography: First results in correlation to Baker Score, Clin Hemorheol Microcirc58(4) (2014), 521–528.
10.
MunH.S., ChoiS.H., KookS.H., ChoiY., JeongW.K. and KimY., Validation of intra- and interobserver reproducibility of shear wave elastography: Phantom study, Ultrasonics53(5) (2013), 1039–1043.
11.
CosgroveD.O., BergW.A., DoréC.J., SkybaD.M., HenryJ.P., GayJ.et al., BE1 Study Group, Shear wave elastography for breast masses is highly reproducible., Eur Radiol22(5) (2012), 1023–1032.
12.
ItohA., UenoE., TohnoE., KammaH., TakahashiH. and ShiinaT., Breast disease: Clinical application of US elastography for diagnosis, Radiology239(2) (2006), 341–350.
13.
YaoM.H., WuR., XuG., ZhaoL.X., LiuH., PuH., et al., A novel two-dimensional quantitative shear wave elastography to make differential diagnosis of breast lesions: Comprehensive evaluation and influencing factors, Clin Hemorheol Microcirc64(2) (2016), 223–233.
14.
RzymskiP., KubasikM., GacaM. and OpalaT., Is the shear wave sonographic elastography correlated with pain after breast augmentation with silicone implants an indication of inflammatory activity? A preliminary report, Wideochir Inne Tech Maloinwazyjne6(4) (2011), 217–225.
15.
NachbarJ.M., OrrisonW.W.Jr, Validation of quantification of breast implant capsule surface area and volume using magnetic resonance imaging, Ann Plast Surg27(4) (1991), 321–326.
