Incidental detection of breast lesions with computed tomography

The incidental finding of a breast lesion on a computed tomography scan is increasingly common at our institution. In the past 12 months, we have diagnosed 6 primary breast cancers--1 metastasis and 5 benign lesions--in this manner. We describe 4 cases illustrating a range of breast pathologies, benign and malignant, which have been detected by computed tomography scans. Accurate, prompt, triple assessment in a symptomatic breast clinic has proven essential to obtaining an eventual diagnosis in patients presenting via this slightly unusual route.