PURPOSE: To analyze the location of microcalcifications present on pathologic specimens and the relationshipbetween the shape of clustered microcalcifications seen on mammogram and the location of these microcalcificationson pathologic specimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 84 female patients aged 25-68, we analysed the location ofmicrocalcifications seen on pathologic speciments. In 65 cases, the shape of these microcalcifications correlatedwith their location. These shapes, as seen on mammograms, were classified as granular, linear, or branching ; thelocation of microcalcifications was difined as intraductal, stromal, lobular, or a mixture of the three. Todetermine the difference, if any, between pathologic diagnosis and pathological location and shape as seen onmammograms, statistical analysis using the Chi-square test was performed. RESULT: Among 84 cases, 51 were benignand 33 cases were malignant. In both types of disease, in 45% and 58% of cases, respectively, microcalcificationswere located intraductally. There was no statistically significant difference between pathologic diagnosis andpathologic locations (p = 0.191) ; analysis of the relationship between shape of microcalcification andpathological location similarly revealed no statistically significant difference ( p > 0.05 ) . In four of 33cases of malignant disease(12 %), there was microcalcification not only of the tumor itself but also of theadjacent non-tumorous region. CONCLUSION: Regardless of whether the disease was benign or melignant,microcalcifieations were most commonly intraductal. The relationship between shape and location ofmicrocalcifications seen on pathologic specimens demonstrated no statistical significance.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans