Specimen radiography: an assessment method for reduction mammaplasty materials

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Pathology
• Oncology

Background:

• Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women, yet its detection in reduction mammaplasty specimens is infrequent.
• Specimen radiography, common in biopsies, has not been widely applied to reduction mammaplasty tissue assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the applicability and benefits of specimen radiography for detecting breast pathologies, including malignancies, in reduction mammaplasty specimens.
• To assess the utility of specimen radiography in guiding histopathological examination of excised breast tissue.

Main Methods:

• Forty patients undergoing reduction mammaplasty using an inferior pedicle technique were included.
• Immediate post-resection radiographs of breast tissues were taken and evaluated for pathological findings.
• Marked areas and random samples underwent histopathological examination.

Main Results:

• Specimen radiography identified fibrocystic changes in two cases, confirmed by subsequent histological examination.
• No false-negative results were observed, indicating high sensitivity for detected abnormalities.
• The procedure was found to be applicable, easy, inexpensive, and comfortable for patients.

Conclusions:

• Specimen radiography is a viable and beneficial tool for assessing reduction mammaplasty specimens.
• Radiographs can effectively guide pathologists in targeted tissue sampling, especially for large excisions, enhancing diagnostic yield for breast pathologies.