Breast Ultrasound Review Questions
and Answers Latest Version Already
Passed
What is the primary use of breast ultrasound in clinical practice?
✔✔Breast ultrasound is primarily used to evaluate breast lumps, determine whether they are
cystic or solid, guide biopsies, and assess changes in breast tissue, especially when
mammography results are inconclusive.
How does a breast ultrasound differentiate between cystic and solid masses?
✔✔A breast ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of the breast tissue. Cystic masses
appear as dark, fluid-filled areas, while solid masses appear as lighter, more defined areas on the
ultrasound.
When is breast ultrasound typically recommended over a mammogram?
✔✔Breast ultrasound is typically recommended when a mammogram shows abnormal results,
especially for women with dense breast tissue, or when a physical exam detects a lump that
needs further evaluation.
How can breast ultrasound assist in the assessment of breast cancer?
1
,✔✔Breast ultrasound can help distinguish between benign and malignant masses by evaluating
the shape, borders, and internal characteristics of a lump, which is essential in determining the
next steps for diagnosis.
What is the role of ultrasound-guided biopsy in breast cancer diagnosis?
✔✔Ultrasound-guided biopsy uses ultrasound imaging to accurately guide a needle to the
location of a suspicious breast mass, allowing for the collection of tissue for further examination
and cancer diagnosis.
How does breast ultrasound contribute to monitoring post-treatment patients?
✔✔Breast ultrasound can be used to monitor patients after breast cancer treatment to check for
recurrence of cancer or complications such as fluid collection or infection.
What is the significance of a "hypoechoic" area in breast ultrasound?
✔✔A hypoechoic area on a breast ultrasound indicates a mass that appears darker than the
surrounding tissue, which may suggest a solid mass that could require further evaluation for
malignancy.
What does a "circumscribed" mass appearance on an ultrasound typically indicate?
2
,✔✔A circumscribed mass appears with well-defined borders on ultrasound, which is often a
characteristic of benign tumors or cysts, but further testing may still be necessary to rule out
malignancy.
What role does breast ultrasound play in the evaluation of nipple discharge?
✔✔Breast ultrasound can be used to identify underlying causes of nipple discharge, such as a
ductal cyst or intraductal papilloma, and to assess any abnormalities in the ducts or surrounding
tissue.
Why is it important to assess the lymph nodes during a breast ultrasound examination?
✔✔Assessing the lymph nodes during a breast ultrasound helps identify any enlargement or
abnormalities that may indicate metastasis, especially in patients with breast cancer or suspicious
breast masses.
What is the advantage of using a high-frequency probe in breast ultrasound?
✔✔A high-frequency probe provides higher resolution images, which is beneficial for evaluating
superficial breast tissue and small masses that may be difficult to detect with lower-frequency
probes.
How can breast ultrasound help in the detection of axillary lymph node involvement?
3
, ✔✔Breast ultrasound can assess axillary lymph nodes for signs of metastasis, such as irregular
borders, increased size, or hypoechoic areas, which could suggest cancer spread.
What is the typical appearance of a benign fibroadenoma on a breast ultrasound?
✔✔A fibroadenoma typically appears as a well-defined, round or oval, hypoechoic mass with
smooth, regular borders on a breast ultrasound, suggesting it is benign.
How does a breast ultrasound assist in guiding a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy?
✔✔Breast ultrasound helps guide the needle to the precise location of the lesion during an FNA
biopsy, ensuring that the correct tissue is sampled for analysis.
What does a "complex cyst" look like on a breast ultrasound?
✔✔A complex cyst appears as a mass that contains both fluid-filled and solid areas, which may
require further evaluation to determine if it is benign or has features of malignancy.
How can a breast ultrasound differentiate between a simple cyst and a complex mass?
✔✔A simple cyst on ultrasound appears as a round, anechoic (dark) area with smooth borders,
while a complex mass may show irregular borders or internal echoes, suggesting the presence of
both solid and fluid components.
4
and Answers Latest Version Already
Passed
What is the primary use of breast ultrasound in clinical practice?
✔✔Breast ultrasound is primarily used to evaluate breast lumps, determine whether they are
cystic or solid, guide biopsies, and assess changes in breast tissue, especially when
mammography results are inconclusive.
How does a breast ultrasound differentiate between cystic and solid masses?
✔✔A breast ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of the breast tissue. Cystic masses
appear as dark, fluid-filled areas, while solid masses appear as lighter, more defined areas on the
ultrasound.
When is breast ultrasound typically recommended over a mammogram?
✔✔Breast ultrasound is typically recommended when a mammogram shows abnormal results,
especially for women with dense breast tissue, or when a physical exam detects a lump that
needs further evaluation.
How can breast ultrasound assist in the assessment of breast cancer?
1
,✔✔Breast ultrasound can help distinguish between benign and malignant masses by evaluating
the shape, borders, and internal characteristics of a lump, which is essential in determining the
next steps for diagnosis.
What is the role of ultrasound-guided biopsy in breast cancer diagnosis?
✔✔Ultrasound-guided biopsy uses ultrasound imaging to accurately guide a needle to the
location of a suspicious breast mass, allowing for the collection of tissue for further examination
and cancer diagnosis.
How does breast ultrasound contribute to monitoring post-treatment patients?
✔✔Breast ultrasound can be used to monitor patients after breast cancer treatment to check for
recurrence of cancer or complications such as fluid collection or infection.
What is the significance of a "hypoechoic" area in breast ultrasound?
✔✔A hypoechoic area on a breast ultrasound indicates a mass that appears darker than the
surrounding tissue, which may suggest a solid mass that could require further evaluation for
malignancy.
What does a "circumscribed" mass appearance on an ultrasound typically indicate?
2
,✔✔A circumscribed mass appears with well-defined borders on ultrasound, which is often a
characteristic of benign tumors or cysts, but further testing may still be necessary to rule out
malignancy.
What role does breast ultrasound play in the evaluation of nipple discharge?
✔✔Breast ultrasound can be used to identify underlying causes of nipple discharge, such as a
ductal cyst or intraductal papilloma, and to assess any abnormalities in the ducts or surrounding
tissue.
Why is it important to assess the lymph nodes during a breast ultrasound examination?
✔✔Assessing the lymph nodes during a breast ultrasound helps identify any enlargement or
abnormalities that may indicate metastasis, especially in patients with breast cancer or suspicious
breast masses.
What is the advantage of using a high-frequency probe in breast ultrasound?
✔✔A high-frequency probe provides higher resolution images, which is beneficial for evaluating
superficial breast tissue and small masses that may be difficult to detect with lower-frequency
probes.
How can breast ultrasound help in the detection of axillary lymph node involvement?
3
, ✔✔Breast ultrasound can assess axillary lymph nodes for signs of metastasis, such as irregular
borders, increased size, or hypoechoic areas, which could suggest cancer spread.
What is the typical appearance of a benign fibroadenoma on a breast ultrasound?
✔✔A fibroadenoma typically appears as a well-defined, round or oval, hypoechoic mass with
smooth, regular borders on a breast ultrasound, suggesting it is benign.
How does a breast ultrasound assist in guiding a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy?
✔✔Breast ultrasound helps guide the needle to the precise location of the lesion during an FNA
biopsy, ensuring that the correct tissue is sampled for analysis.
What does a "complex cyst" look like on a breast ultrasound?
✔✔A complex cyst appears as a mass that contains both fluid-filled and solid areas, which may
require further evaluation to determine if it is benign or has features of malignancy.
How can a breast ultrasound differentiate between a simple cyst and a complex mass?
✔✔A simple cyst on ultrasound appears as a round, anechoic (dark) area with smooth borders,
while a complex mass may show irregular borders or internal echoes, suggesting the presence of
both solid and fluid components.
4
