Many patients present to the breast clinic with variable symptoms. The degree of palpability is the important symptom for patients and clinicians. Both mammography and ultrasonography play an important role in the diagnosis of breast diseases by indicating the cause of the symptoms and aiding in the selection of treatment for the disease. Sometimes, however, we meet unexpected results. In this paper, we will illustrate the ultrasonographic and mammographic findings of interesting, unusual or perplexing breast cases in order to familiarize ourselves with these breasts through these cases and thereby assist in future diagnosis.
Breast Diseases ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Mammography ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: We assessed the usefulness of resistive index(RI) on spectral analysis of Doppler sonography for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 29 benign and 22 malignant lesions of breast, which were examined preoperatively with color and duplex Doppler andwere confirmed by histopathologically after operation. We analyzed the average and distribution of RI in benignand malignant lesions. RESULTS: Although, there was no difference in the average values of RI in benign and malignant breast lesions, the distribution of RI was below 0.7 in eighteen cases (62%) of benign lesions, and above 0.7 in eighteen cases (82%) of malignant lesions. Thus, RI is valuable for differentiation between benignand malignant lesions of breast. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of RI in breast disease using color and duplex Dopplerstudy is useful modality adjunct to the conventional ultrasonographic differentiation of benign and malignantlesions.
Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies

Breast calcification is a very common and representative radiological finding visualized on a wide spectrum of breast diseases. Its detection and morphologic characterization are very important for the diagnosis and differentiation of breast lesions, for which mammography is the imaging modality of choice. Although ultrasonography is a very feasible tool in problem-solving diagnosis and interventional procedures of breast masses, it suffers limitations in the detection and characterization of microcalcifications. Recently, identification of microcalcifications on ultrasonography has become more frequent because of the advent of high-frequency transducer and improvements in spatial resolution. The importance of sonographic detection of breast calcifications lies in the fact that sonographically guided biopsy can be more easily and precisely performed for the suspicious lesions with microcalcifications (BI-RADS category 4 or 5). Additionally, the sonographic features correlating with mammographic findings are valuable for differentiate between malignant and benign lesions. This article describes the equipment and techniques to improve the detection rate of microcalcifications, the imaging features of various breast diseases with calcifications, and the suitable sonographically guided intervention.
Biopsy ; Breast Diseases ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Mammography ; Transducers ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Mammary*

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of breast disease is recognized to be highly accurate and cost effective, especially when this is used in combination with clinical examination and imaging as part of a triple approach. A probabilistic/categorical approach is used for the classification of breast FNA specimens. Criteria are defined from the perspective of the likelihood of making a definitive diagnosis of cancer on excision. This approach is an accurate way of classifying breast FNA specimens, and this can be reliably applied regardless of the level of experience of the pathologist for interpreting the case. When a definitive diagnosis of malignancy is made, the next step is to determining the specific histologic types of the malignancy according to their cytological features. In order to make an accurate diagnosis of carcinoma and for correct typing a tumor, an adequate, correctly sampled aspirate without any other artifacts is required.
Artifacts ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Breast Diseases ; Breast* ; Classification ; Diagnosis

PURPOSE: Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography has been validated as an useful non-invasive diagnostic tool for the primary breast cancer. But most studies have included small population of patients. We have experienced a large study population and investigated the diagnostie usefulness of Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography in detection of primary breast cancer and axillary Iymph node metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 30S patients who underwent scintimammography for palpable breast masses or abnormal radiologic findings. Tc-99m MIRI scintirnammography was performed 10 minutes after intravenous injection of 925 MBq of Tc-99m MIBI. If the early image revealed abnormal finding, 3 hour delayed image was also acquired. We calculated early and delayed lesion to non-lesion ratios (L/N). The pathologic diagnosis was obtained from surgical operation or F.4AB and compared with the results of Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography. RESULTS: Malignant breast diseases were 155 and benign ones were 150. Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography revealed 132 true positive, 23 false negative, 10 false positive, and 140 true negative cases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for the primary breast cancer detection were 85.2%, 93.4%, 92.9%, and 85.9%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography in detecting metastatic axillary lymph node involvement were 22%, 90.4%, 61.9% and 62.3%, respectively. Early L/N of malignant breast disease was significantly higher than that of benign one (2,44+/-0.97 vs 1.94+/-0.78, p=0.01). Delayed L/N had no significant difference between malignant anbreast diseases (1.94+/-0.32 vs 1.91+/-0.73, p=0.43). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography was an useful diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of breast cancer. And early L/N ratio might provide complementary role in the detection of' breast cancer. Bu1 the Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography had limited value in the detection of small breast cancer (less than 1 cm) and axillary lymph node metastasis.
Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: This study was performed to confirm the differences in telomerase activities between breast cancer and benign breast disease and to evaluate the clinical significance of telomerase activity in the diagnosis of breast cancer by its application to cytologic specimens. METHODS: Thirty-six breast-cancer samples and 23 benign-breast-disease samples were analyzed to detect telomerase activity by using a modification of the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP). In 27 breast-cancer specimens, both the cytologic samples obtained by fine needle aspiration (FNA) and the tissue samples from the primary tumor were analyzed using the same method for comparison. RESULTS: Telomerase activity was detected in 7 of 23 (30.4%) benign breast diseases and 30 of 36 (83.3%) breast cancers and was found not to correlate with the prognostic or pathologic variables. In the diagnostic accuracy of breast cancer, the resultant sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for telomerase activity were 83.3%, 69.6%, 81.1%, and 72.7%, respectively. Telomerase assays of cytologic and tissue samples of 27 breast cancers detected telomerase activity in 20 of 27 (74.1%) cytologic specimens and in 23 of 27 (85.2%) tissue specimens. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the detection of telo merase activity in tissue or cytologic samples is useful in the diagnosis of breast cancer.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Telomerase*

The history of the radiological examination of the breast has been long, and recently the methods forexamining the breast are variable: mammography, thermography, xeroradiography, ultrasonography, water-pathsonography, transillumination, mammary C.T., M.R. Imaging, infra-red scanning, nuclear medicine, andgalactography. Most of these methods were not proven or have not been satisfied on their clinical testing butconventional mammography has been the gold standard for diagnosis of the breast cancer and no other method hasreached its effectiveness. The authors performed mammography in 488 patiens with breast abnormalities who hadvisited to Yeung Nam University hospital form May, 1983 to Dec. 1984. And we analyzed the mammographic findingsand diagnostic accuracy in pathologically confirmed 53 cases by operations or biopsies. The results are asfollows: 1. Among 16 cases of breast malignancies, (1) the most prevalent age group is 6th decade(37.5%), followedby 5th decade(31.3%), (2) the most common pathologic type is ductal carcinoma(93.75%), (3) the masses are largerthan 2cm, in 8 cases, smaller than 2cm. in 5 cases, and no visible mass is observed in 3 cases. 2. Among 37 casesof benign breast diseases, (1) the most prevalent age group is 4th & 5th decades(each11 cases), and followed by3rd decade(8 cases), (2) the most common disease is benign tumor (17 casees), followed by fibrocystic dysplasia(13cases), and inflammating disease(7 cases). (3) radiologically visible masses are observed in 16 cases and themasses are smaller than 2cm. in 11 cases. 3. the diagnostic accuracy of mammography compared with that ofpathology, (1) in malignancy, the accuracy rate is 75%(12/16 cases), and 87%(32/37 cases) in benign diseases. (2)avearage accuracy rate is 81%(44/53 cases).
Biopsy ; Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Mammography ; Methods ; Nuclear Medicine ; Thermography ; Transillumination ; Ultrasonography ; Xeroradiography

The indication of CT for the breast lesions are 1) Unusually extensive or small breast caused technicaldifficulties in performing mammograms. 2) Questionable mammographic findings, especially in dense proliferativebreast parenchyme, 3) Microcancer. 4) Suspicious regional lymph node enlargement of invasion of the chest wall bybreast cancer. The diagnosis of breast CT in breast cancer is based on pathologic anatomic change andcharacteristic increase of mean CT No. of lesion following contrast enhancement. Authors analysed CT of the 34patients who were clinically suspected breast cancer, and compared with mammography. The results are as follows:1. Pathological diagnosis of 34 cases were 27 cases of breast cancer, 4 cases of fibrocystic disease, 2 cases offibroadenoma, and 1 case of intraductal pupilloma. The diagnostic accuracy of CT in 27 breast cancer was 93%(25cases) and mammography 71%(19 cases). 2. Corect diagnosis of CT in 7 benign breast disease is in 5 cases andmammography in 5 cases. 3. The most importment finding of CT in breast cancer is characteristic increase of CT No.of lesion following contrast enhancement (200ml, 65%): over average 50HU in 19 cases of 27 breast cancers, 30-50HUin a 6 cases, 20-30HU in 2 cases with tumor necrosis. 4. Compared with mammography, other more valuable CTfindings of breast cancer are axillary lymph node enlargement and adjacentic pectoral muscle invasion. 5. Inconclusion, Breast CT is considered as a valuable diagnostic tool in evaluation of breast cancer, but not of benign breast disease.
Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Diagnosis ; Lymph Nodes ; Mammography ; Necrosis ; Thoracic Wall

Since Oct. 1, 1983 until April 15, 1986, authors analyzed variable combined imaging diagnosis andhistopathologic correlation for confirmed 100 breast carcinoma among 2773 patients whom authors took care of them.1. Incidence of female breast carcinoma was 3.6% among 2773 patients who visited Yong Dong Severance Hospital, andoverall breast carcinoma occupied 29.7% among 337 confirmed breast diseases. 2. Prevalent cancer age for Koreanwomen breast carcinoma was ages between 40-49 years old(42%) however authors experienced 5% breast carcinoma amongtwentieth, and 22% breast carcioma among thirtieth. 3. Most common histopathologic type for breast carcinoma wasinfiltrating ductal carcinoma, scirrhous type(65). And most common breast parenchymal pattern related to breastcarcinoma was DY pattern(42%) followed by N1 pattern(25%). 4. Common film mammographic findings of breastcarcinoma were: ill defined bordered mass(68.4%), spiculation of mass(82.9%), vessel dilatation (59.8%) and thencalcification (44.4%). 5. Frequently visible ultramammographic findings were; irregular mass contour(79.6%),nonuniform internal echoes(87.0%), and posterior wall shadowing (86.0%). 6. Trials of above combined imagingmodalities for breast carcinoma resulted in his sensitivity of diagnosis(93.3%).
Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Shadowing (Histology)

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to analyze the histology of breast lesions categorized as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 4c or 5 breast lesions during the imaging evaluation, but diagnosed as benign during the histological evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 71 breast lesions categorized as BI-RADS 4c or 5 during imaging study, but diagnosed as benign upon histological evaluation. RESULTS: Breast lesions were classified into six groups upon histological analysis: intraductal papilloma (18 cases), inflammatory group (15 cases), fibroepithelial tumor (14 cases), clustered microcalcification (10 cases), minimal histological alteration (10 cases), and adenosis (4 cases). Sclerosis and architectural complexity were associated with most of the biopsies that were morphologically similar to malignancy. CONCLUSION: Among 71 cases categorized as 4c or 5 during the imaging study, but diagnosed as benign upon histological examination, intraductal papilloma was the most frequently identified histological lesion. These 71 cases exhibited histological characteristics of sclerosis and/or complex/complicated features that should be histologically differentiated from malignancy during evaluation.
Biopsy ; Breast Diseases/*diagnosis ; Breast Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies