Adjunctive diagnostic value of ultrasonography evaluation in patients with suspected ductal breast disease

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adjunctive diagnostic value of breast ultrasonography (US) in the study of benign ductal breast disease.

Fifty-two patients underwent US examinations for bloody nipple discharge, palpable retroareolar masses, retroareolar opacities or ductal pattern on mammography. US enabled visualisation of mammary-duct ectasia (simple or pseudocystic, retroareolar and/or peripheral) and focal masses (endoluminal or periductal, with ill-defined or regular margins). All patients with nipple discharge underwent cytological evaluation. After the US examination, all focal masses with ill-defined margins underwent fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), if necessary. The benign alterations were followed up.

In 38/52 cases, US diagnosed mammary-duct ectasia and in 30/52 cases, the presence of focal masses (mean size 7 mm). In the nine women who underwent biopsy, histopathological evaluation diagnosed five solitary papillomas, one solitary papilloma with a focal area of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), two multiple papillomas of the nipple and one papillomatosis.

High-frequency US plays an important role in the detection of benign ductal disease both for the diagnosis and classification of focal masses and mammary-duct ectasia. US can be used as a complementary imaging method to galactography or as a valuable alternative when galactography is not available.