OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the retrieval rate and accuracy of ultrasound (US)-guided 14-G semi-automated core needle biopsy (CNB) for microcalcifications in the breast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: US-guided 14-G semi-automated CNB procedures and specimen radiography were performed for 33 cases of suspicious microcalcifications apparent on sonography. The accuracy of 14-G semi-automated CNB and radiology-pathology concordance were analyzed and the microcalcification characteristics between groups with successful and failed retrieval were compared. RESULTS: Thirty lesions were successfully retrieved and the microcalcification retrieval rate was 90.9% (30/33). Thirty lesions were successfully retrieved. Twenty five were finally diagnosed as malignant (10 invasive ductal carcinoma, 15 ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]) and five as benign. After surgery and mammographic follow-up, the 25 malignant lesions comprised 12 invasive ductal carcinoma and 13 DCIS. Three lesions in the failed retrieval group (one DCIS and two benign) were finally diagnosed as two DCIS and one benign after surgery. The accuracy of 14-G semi-automated CNB was 90.9% (30/33) because of two DCIS underestimates and one false-negative diagnosis. The discordance rate was significantly higher in the failed retrieval group than in the successful retrieval group (66.7% vs. 6.7%; p < 0.05). Punctate calcifications were significantly more common in the failed retrieval group than in the successful retrieval group (66.7% vs. 3.7%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: US-guided 14-G semi-automated CNB could be a useful procedure for suspicious microcalcifications in the breast those are apparent on sonography.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle/*methods/standards ; Breast/*pathology ; Breast Diseases/pathology/radiography ; Breast Neoplasms/*pathology/surgery/ultrasonography ; Calcinosis/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/*pathology/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Ultrasonography, Interventional/standards ; Young Adult

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

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

To realize the medical semantic annotation of mammogram, a semantic modeling approach for micro-calcifications in mammogram based on hierarchical Bayesian network (BN) was proposed. Firstly, support vector machines (SVM) were used to map low-level image feature into feature semantics, then high-level semantic was captured through fusing the feature semantics using BN. Finally semantic model was established. To validate the method, the model was applied to annotate the semantic information of mammograms. In this experiment, 142 images were chosen as training set and 50 images as testing set. The results showed that the accuracy of malignant samples was 81.48%, and that of benign samples was 73.91%.
Bayes Theorem ; Breast Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Calcinosis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Models, Theoretical ; Radiography ; Semantics ; Support Vector Machine

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

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

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to compare the clinical usefulness of conventional galactography and MR contrast galactography for diagnosing patients with nipple discharge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Both conventional galactography and MR contrast galactography were performed prospectively in 16 patients. Gadopentate dimeglumine (0.1 ml) was mixed with non-ionic contrast medium (0.9 ml) to obtain a resultant volume of 1 ml and this was used for both examinations. Following conventional galactography, MR contrast galactography was performed after direct injection of contrast media into the duct. RESULTS: Conventional galactography and MR contrast galactography were concordant in 13 (81%) of 16 patients; the results were normal in five, ductal dilatation was noted in four and intraductal filling defects were noted in four. The remaining three (19%) patients demonstrated discordant findings on the two examinations. While conventional galactography revealed filling defects, the MR contrast galactography results were normal in two patients. The third patient had kinks-stricture on conventional galactography and MR contrast galactography showed ductal dilatation. This suggested there were false positive results for the three patients' conventional galactography, and all the three patients with discordant results underwent surgery and the histopathologic evaluation showed fibrocystic changes. CONCLUSION: MR contrast galactography may be used as an alternative imaging modality for making the diagnosis of pathologic nipple discharge. However, statistically supported studies with large pools of subjects for comparing the galactography and MR contrast galactography results are needed to confirm our findings.
Adult ; Aged ; Breast Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Contrast Media ; Exudates and Transudates ; Female ; Gadolinium DTPA/diagnostic use ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Middle Aged ; Nipples/*secretion ; Prospective Studies

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidences and potential predictive factors for symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (SRP) and radiographic pulmonary toxicity (RPT) following adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for patients with breast cancer. A particular focus was made to correlate RPT with the dose volume histogram (DVH) parameters based on three-dimensional RT planning (3D-RTP) data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 2003 through February 2006, 171 patients with breast cancer were treated with adjuvant RT following breast surgery. A radiation dose of 50.4 Gy was delivered with tangential photon fields on the whole breast or chest wall. A single anterior oblique photon field for supraclavicular (SCL) nodes was added if indicated. Serial follow-up chest radiographs were reviewed by a chest radiologist. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) toxicity criteria were used for grading SRP and a modified World Health Organization (WHO) grading system was used to evaluate RPT. The overall percentage of the ipsilateral lung volume that received > or =15 Gy (V15), 20 Gy (V20), and 30 Gy (V30) and the mean lung dose (MLD) were calculated. We divided the ipsilateral lung into two territories, and defined separate DVH parameters, i.e., V15 TNGT, V20 TNGT, V30 TNGT, MLD TNGT, and V15 SCL, V20 SCL, V 30SCL, MLD SCL to assess the relationship between these parameters and RPT. RESULTS: Four patients (2.1%) developed SRP (three with grade 3 and one with grade 2, respectively). There was no significant association of SRP with clinical parameters such as, age, pre-existing lung disease, smoking, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and regional RT. When 137 patients treated with 3D-RTP were evaluated, 13.9% developed RPT in the tangent (TNGT) territory and 49.2% of 59 patients with regional RT developed RPT in the SCL territory. Regional RT (p<0.001) and age (p=0.039) was significantly correlated with RPT. All DVH parameters except for V15 TNGT showed a significant correlation with RPT (p<0.05). MLDTNGT was a better predictor for RPT for the TNGT territory than V15 SCL for the SCL territory. CONCLUSION: The incidence of SRP was acceptable with the RT technique that was used. Age and regional RT were significant factors to predict RPT. The DVH parameter was good predictor for RPT for the SCL territory while MLD TNGT was a better predictor for RPT for the TNGT territory.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax ; World Health Organization

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

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