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Published on: September 19, 2014
Calcifications and tungsten deposits after breast-conserving surgery and intraoperative radiotherapy for breast
Aurélie Jalaguier-Coudray1, M Cohen2, J Thomassin-Piana3
1Department of Radiology, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.
Aim:
To describe the presence of atypical calcifications on post-operative mammography after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT).
Materials And Methods:
We retrospectively include all patients followed after BCS and IORT for breast cancer (n=271). All follow-up mammograms at 6 months after surgery were retrospectively evaluated by two board-certified radiologists. The radiologists had to notify the presence or the absence of atypical calcifications.
Results:
Five patients had on follow-up mammography the presence of atypical calcifications. Two patients had a stereotactic breast biopsy. The pathologic examination showed the presence of small tungsten particles located in the breast parenchyma.
Conclusion:
The presence of atypical calcifications after BCS and IORT, presenting as multiple, scattered, round calcifications, should be rated as BIRADS 2 and do not require biopsy. They corresponded on tungsten deposits.
