No abstract available.
Breast Diseases/radiography* ; Breast Neoplasms/radiography ; Female ; Human ; Mammography/methods* ; Precancerous Conditions/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

In this paper, we evaluate the radiological features of pregnancy-associated breast lesions and discuss the difficulties in diagnosis by imaging. We selected patients who were diagnosed with pregnancy-associated breast lesions during the previous 5 years. All patients complained of palpable lesions in the breast and underwent ultrasonographic (US) examination, the first choice for examination of pregnancy-related breast lesions. Any suspicious lesions found by the US were recommended for a US-guided core biopsy, US-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA), or surgery. Various breast lesions were detected during pregnancy and lactation, including breast cancer, mastitis and abscesses, lactating adenoma, galactoceles, lobular hyperplasia, and fibroadenomas. The imaging features of pregnancy-associated breast lesions did not differ from the features of non-pregnancy-associated breast lesions; however, some pregnancy-associated benign lesions had suspicious sonographic features. A US-guided core biopsy was necessary for differentiating benign from malignant. In patients with breast cancer, the cancer was often advanced at the time of diagnosis. In conclusion, various pregnancy-related breast lesions were detected and the imaging of these lesions had variable findings. Breast ultrasound could be an excellent imaging modality for diagnosis and differentiation between benign and malignant lesions. However, when the imaging results are suspicious, a biopsy should be performed to obtain a pathologic diagnosis.
Ultrasonography, Mammary ; Pregnancy Complications/diagnosis/*radiography/surgery ; Pregnancy ; *Mammography ; Humans ; Female ; Breast Neoplasms/pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Breast Diseases/pathology/*radiography/ultrasonography ; Breast/pathology/surgery ; Biopsy ; Adult

Breast edema is defined as a mammographic pattern of skin thickening, increased parenchymal density, and interstitial marking. It can be caused by benign or malignant diseases, as a result of a tumor in the dermal lymphatics of the breast, lymphatic congestion caused by breast, lymphatic drainage obstruction, or by congestive heart failure. Here we describe several conditions, that cause unilateral breast edema with the aim of familiarizing radiologists with these disease entities.
Breast Diseases/*etiology/*radiography/ultrasonography ; Edema/*etiology/*radiography/ultrasonography ; Female ; Humans ; *Mammography ; Ultrasonography, Mammary

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to compare the ability of screen-film mammography (SFM) and soft-copy full-field digital mammography (s-FFDM) on two different monitors to detect and characterize microcalcifications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The images of 40 patients with microcalcifications (three patients had malignant lesion and 37 patients had benign lesion), who underwent both SFM and FFDM at an interval of less than six months, were independently evaluated by three readers. Three reading sessions were undertaken for SFM and for FFDM on a mammography-dedicated review workstation (RWS, 2K x 2.5K), and for FFDM on a high-resolution PACS monitor (1.7K x 2.3K). The image quality, breast composition and the number and conspicuity of the microcalcifications were evaluated using a three-point rating method, and the mammographic assessment was classified into 4 categories (normal, benign, low concern and moderate to great concern). RESULTS: The image quality, the number and conspicuity of the microcalcifications by s-FFDM (on the RWS, PACS and both) were superior to those by SFM in 85.0%, 80.0% and 52.5% of the cases, respectively (p < 0.01), and those by the s-FFDM on the two different monitors were similar in 15.0%, 12.5% and 35.0% of the cases, respectively (p > 0.01). The mammographic assessment category for the microcalcifications in the three reading sessions was similar. CONCLUSION: s-FFDM gives a superior image quality to SFM and it is better at evaluating microcalcifications. In addition, s-FFDM with the PACS monitor is comparable to s-FFDM with the RWS for evaluating microcalcifications.
*Radiographic Image Enhancement ; Mammography/*methods ; Humans ; Female ; Calcinosis/*radiography ; Breast Diseases/*radiography

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

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nature and imaging appearance of incidental enhancing breast lesions detected on a routine contrast-enhanced chest CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients with incidental enhancing breast lesions on contrast-enhanced chest CT were retrospectively reviewed. The breast lesions were reviewed by unenhanced and enhanced CT, and evaluated by observing the shapes, margins, enhancement patterns and backgrounds of breast lesions. A histopathologic diagnosis or long-term follow-up served as reference standard. RESULTS: Sixteen (70%) patients had malignant breast lesions and seven (30%) had benign lesions. In 10 patients, the breast lesions were exclusively detected on contrast-enhanced CT. Using unenhanced CT, breast lesions with fibroglandular backgrounds were prone to be obscured (p < 0.001). Incidental primary breast cancer showed an non-significant trend of a higher percentage irregular margin (p = 0.056). All of the four incidental breast lesions with non-mass-like enhancement were proven to be malignant. CONCLUSION: Routine contrast-enhanced chest CT can reveal sufficient details to allow for the detection of unsuspected breast lesions, in which some cases may be proven as malignant. An irregular margin of incidental enhancing breast lesion can be considered a suggestive sign of malignancy.
Aged ; Breast Diseases/radiography ; Breast Neoplasms/*radiography/secondary ; *Contrast Media ; Female ; Humans ; *Incidental Findings ; Iohexol/*analogs & derivatives/diagnostic use ; Middle Aged ; *Radiography, Thoracic ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The characteristic features of hamartoma in terms of discrepancies in mammographic and sonographic shapes of the mass were evaluated. We reviewed 16 pathologically proven breast hamartomas, which had undergone preoperative mammography and ultrasonography. All masses were analyzed according to ACR-BIRADS on mammography. On sonography, each mass was analyzed for size, shape, margin, internal echogenicity, and posterior acoustic enhancement. We also analyzed the echogenicity of halo, and compared the characteristic changes in the shape of hamartomas attributable to compression in mammograms and sonograms. The most common sites were at 12 o'clock in the right breast and 2 o'clock in the left. The most common mammographic findings of the hamartomas were a round shape (11/16), a circumscribed margin (13/16), internal fat densities (D4) (16/16) and radiolucent halos (14/16). The most common sonographic findings of the hamartomas were an oval shape (16/16), circumscribed margins (10/16), heterogeneous internal echogenicity (14/16), echogenic (7/16) or echolucent halos (5/16), and posterior enhancements (12/16). The characteristic feature of hamartomas was a change of the mammographic round shape mass into an elongated oval shape mass by sonography (11/11), suggesting the compressibility of hamartomas. Three of the hamartomas contained a pathologically proven internal calcification. The presence of a hamartoma was suggested by a change in a mammographic round mass with a radiolucent halo into an oval heterogeneous mass surrounded by an echogenic or echolucent halo on the sonogram. This characteristic difference between the mammographic and sonographic findings was attributed to the hamartoma compressibility, and was associated with the over-proliferation of fat containing mature normal breast tissue.
Adult ; Breast Diseases/pathology/radiography/*ultrasonography ; Female ; Hamartoma/pathology/radiography/*ultrasonography ; Human ; Mammography ; Middle Aged ; *Ultrasonography, Mammary

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare subtype of cutaneous lymphoma. There have been a few case reports describing the radiologic imaging findings of SPTCL. We report a case of SPTCL, rarely presented with a breast mass. Here, we review her clinical history and radiologic (mammography and ultrasound) findings.
Adult ; Breast Neoplasms/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma, T-Cell/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Mammography ; Panniculitis/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Rare Diseases/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Skin Neoplasms/*pathology/radiography/ultrastructure

Inflammatory pseudotumor, also known as inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor and plasma cell granuloma, is an uncommon low-grade lesion composed of spindle cells admixed with mature plasma cells and other inflammatory cells, such as histiocytes, lymphocytes, and eosinophils. Here, we describe the mammographic and ultrasonographic findings of a case of an inflammatory pseudotumor of the breast in a 60-year-old woman. With the suspicion of malignancy, core needle biopsy and surgical excision confirmed the mass as being an inflammatory pseudotumor of the breast.
Biopsy ; Breast Diseases/pathology/*radiography/*ultrasonography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell/pathology/*radiography/*ultrasonography ; Humans ; Mammography ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography, Mammary

Axillary disorders originate from an axillary lymph node, subcutaneous fat layer, accessory breast, nerve, vessel and muscle. The most common causes of a palpable axillary mass are a lymph node pathology containing a benign axillary lymphadenopathy, and malignant lymph nodes such as a metastatic lymphadenopathy from breast cancer and a malignant lymphoma. For the detection of masses in the axilla, mammography and sonography are the imaging modalities of choice. We present a spectrum of various axillary masses with correlative radiological imaging and pathological findings in this pictorial essay. Knowledge of the radiological findings of various axillary disorders is useful for a differential diagnosis and for preventing unnecessary invasive procedures.
Animals ; Axilla ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Lymphatic System ; Lymphoma ; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal ; Mammography ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pathology ; Radiography ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Ultrasonography