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Radial scar with microcalcifications: radiologic-pathologic correlation
1Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.
Radiology
|May 1, 1992
Summary
Radial scars can mimic breast cancer on mammograms. Microcalcifications, previously thought rare, can appear in radial scars, making differentiation difficult and necessitating biopsy for stellate lesions without surgical history.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Breast Imaging
- Pathology
Background:
- Radial scars of the breast can present mammographic features similar to scirrhous carcinoma.
- Established criteria for differentiating radial scars from scirrhous carcinoma include radiolucent cores, radiating spicules, and absence of calcifications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report on the occurrence of microcalcifications in radial scars.
- To highlight the diagnostic challenge in differentiating radial scars from scirrhous carcinoma on mammography.
Main Methods:
- Review of four cases of biopsy-proven radial scars.
- Pathologic correlation of mammographic findings, specifically focusing on microcalcifications.
Main Results:
- Four cases of radial scars with mammographically visible microcalcifications were identified.
- The presence of microcalcifications challenges previously held assumptions about radial scar imaging characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Microcalcifications can occur within radial scars, diminishing their reliability as a distinguishing feature.
- Stellate lesions on mammography without a clear surgical scar require prompt biopsy due to the inability to reliably differentiate them from scirrhous carcinomas.