Radial scar appearances on contrast-enhanced mammography

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Breast Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Radial scars are increasingly detected due to advances in breast imaging technology.
• Managing radial scars is complex due to the risk of malignancy identified during surgical excision.
• Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) presents a cost-effective and accessible alternative to MRI for breast lesion evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) in the diagnostic work-up of radial scars.
• To present the imaging characteristics of radial scars as depicted by CEM.
• To explore how CEM findings might impact the clinical management of patients with radial scars.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of imaging studies for 55 patients diagnosed with radial scars via core biopsy.
• Analysis of contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) findings in nine patients within the cohort.
• Presentation of CEM enhancement patterns in a pictorial essay format.

Main Results:

• Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) demonstrated high sensitivity and an excellent negative predictive value for malignancy in radial scars.
• Specific enhancement patterns of radial scars on CEM were identified and characterized.
• CEM findings provided valuable information for assessing the risk of malignancy associated with radial scars.

Conclusions:

• Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) is a valuable tool for evaluating radial scars, comparable in sensitivity to MRI but with practical advantages.
• Understanding CEM enhancement patterns can aid in differentiating benign radial scars from malignant lesions.
• CEM has the potential to refine management strategies for radial scars, potentially reducing unnecessary surgical interventions.