[Differential diagnosis of circumscribed growing breast tumors]

The results of a comparison of clinical, roentgenological and cytological investigation of circumscribed growing tumours of the breast are reported - 43 carcinomas and 19 intracanalicular fibroadenomas - that are hard to differentiate. A number of diagnostically valuable symptoms are described: Significant for carcinoma are an age over 55, microcalcifications (60 +/- 13% of the cases) and different sizes of the tumour found by palpation and mammography (35 +/- 9% of the cases). The diagnostic accuracy of the methods was: clinical 44 +/- 8%, roentgenological 79 +/- 7%, cytological 89 +/- 3% and for their joint application in a special mammographic cabinet 98 +/- 2%.