The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of ultrasonography in differentiation between the echogenic characteristics of carcinoma and those of fibroadenoma of the breast. Two mathematical transformations of the measured density on a sonographic image of the breast lesion at three different system gain settings were used in cases of carcinoma (n = 16) and fibroadenoma (n = 31) to provide standardized density values. A significant correlation was found between the tumor and the surrounding tissue densities in both carcinomas (r = 0.77, P = 0.0004) and fibroadenomas (r = 0.79, P < 0.000001. The mean standardized density of the tumor was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than the surrounding tissue in both carcinomas (2.03 +/- 0.64 D versus 1.23 +/- 0.38 D) and fibroadenomas (2.09 +/- 0.48 D versus 1.33 +/- 0.3 D). However, the differences between density values of carcinoma and fibroadenomas were not significantly different. The data suggest that it may not be possible to differentiate breast carcinoma and fibroadenomas on the basis of the echogenicity of solid breast masses.