Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026
Endoscopic Bilateral Nipple-sparing Mastectomy via a Single Axillary Incision with Immediate Pre-pectoral Implant-based Breast Reconstruction
Published on: May 17, 2024
[Value of US imaging following mastectomy]
H Kanso1, H Kazzi, L Menassa-Moussa
1Service d'Imagerie Médicale, Hôtel-Dieu de France, rue Alfred Naccache, Beyrouth, Liban.
Purpose:
To assess the value of US of the mastectomy site at the time of follow-up of the contralateral residual breast.
Materials And Methods:
Over a 5 year period, 251 patients with previous mastectomy underwent 505 unilateral mammographies with US of the mastectomy site. The time delay between imaging and mastectomy ranged between 1-15 years, with a mean of 7.5 years. Lesions at the mastectomy site were classified as follows: BIRADS 2 for a cyst or prominent edema, BIRADS 3 for a lymph node with preserved fatty hilum or mildly echogenic cyst, BIRADS 4 for well-defined hypoechoic lesions, and BIRADS 5 for ill-defined lesions.
Results:
None of the lesions classified as BIRADS 1, 2 or 3 was malignant. Eleven lesions were classified as BIRADS 4: 3 benign lesions, 7 malignant lesions, and 1 non-verified lesion. No lesion was classified as BIRADS 5.
Conclusion:
Systematic US evaluation of the mastectomy site appears warranted since only 1 of 7 malignant lesions was clinically palpable prior to US whereas all were retrospectively palpable after US.
