S-Detect characterization of focal breast lesions according to the US BI RADS lexicon: a pictorial essay

High-resolution ultrasonography (US) is a valuable tool in breast imaging. Nevertheless, US is an operator-dependent technique: to overcome this issue, the American College of Radiology (ACR) has developed the breast imaging-reporting and data system (BI-RADS) US lexicon. Despite this effort, the variability in the assessment of focal breast lesions (FBLs) with the use of BI-RADS US lexicon is still an issue. Within this framework, evidence shows that computer-aided image analysis may be effective in improving the radiologist’s assessment of FBLs. In particular, S-Detect is a newly developed image-analytic computer program that provides assistance in morphologic analysis of FBLs seen on US according to the BI-RADS US lexicon. This pictorial essay describes state-of-the-art of sonographic characterization of FBLs by using S-Detect.