Purpose: To investigate positive predictive values (PPVs) of BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data
System classification on US in women under age 50 and more than age 50.
Materials and Methods: Between May 2009 and October 2009, We reviewed 392 pathologically proven BIRADS
category 3, 4, and 5 lesions of 370 patients retrospectively based on BI-RADS US lexicon.
Including number of women were 121 patents of aged ≥ 50 (mean age 58.8, range 50~89) and 249 patients
of aged < 50 (mean age 38.3, age range 18~49) PPVs for each categories were evaluated in different
age groups. By generalized estimating equation.
Results: There were 88 benign lesions and 304 malignant lesions. The overall PPV of category 4 and combined
category 3, 4, and 5 in women under aged 50 and below was 11.6% and 17.3% versus 25.6% and 33.3%
in women aged 50 and above. There was significant positive association between the age-related PPVs
and increased age in category 4 and category 3, 4 and 5 (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: PPVs of BI-RADS classification on US were significant difference in different age groups.
Therefore, more attention should be paid to special age groups that we found sonographic categorization