Comparison of breast consistency at palpation with breast density at mammography

Palpable breast consistency on physical examination was compared with the breast density on mammography for 909 consecutive patients. One of two experienced nurse practitioners palpated each patient's breasts and assigned a consistency value of 1 (little palpable breast consistency) to 4 (maximal palpable breast consistency). Seven mammographers rated the breast density on mammography as either fatty, mild, moderate, or marked parenchymal density for each breast. A low statistical correlation between the two parameters was shown. Thirty-seven percent of markedly dense breasts on mammography was rated only 1 or 2 on palpation. Thus, breast consistency judged by palpation cannot be directly correlated with the density shown on mammography and cannot be used to predict optimal radiographic technique.