Breast disease and mammography

Published on 12/06/2015 by admin

Filed under Radiology

Last modified 12/06/2015

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10

Breast disease and mammography

10.2

Calcification

Microcalcification is defined as individual calcific opacities measuring < 0.5 mm in diameter. Microcalcification is not specific to carcinoma and macrocalcification may also be found in carcinoma. Microcalcification is seen in 30–40% of carcinomas on mammography.

Definitely benign (see figure, p. 247) Probably benign Suspicious of malignancy
Arterial, tortuous, tramline (1)
Smooth, widely separated radiolucent centre (2)
Linear, thick, rod-like ± radiolucent centre (3)
Egg-shell, curvilinear margin of cyst, fat necrosis (4)
Pop-corn (fibroadenoma) (5)
Large individual > 2 mm (6)
Floating, seen on lateral oblique, milk of calcium cysts (7)
Widespread, both breasts
Macrocalcification of one size
Symmetrical distribution
Widely separated
Superficial distribution
Normal breast parenchyma
Microcalcification, segmental*
Pleomorphic, linear, branching, punctuate*
Associated suspicious soft-tissue opacity
Eccentrically located in soft-tissue mass
Deterioration on serial mammography

*See figure, p. 247.

Examples of definitely benign calcification:

image

10.5

Single well-defined soft-tissue opacity