Palpable Masses after Mastectomy: Differentiating Benign Postoperative Findings from Recurrent Disease

Due to postoperative changes, imaging evaluation of patients with palpable masses after mastectomy can be challenging. There is considerable overlap between the imaging characteristics of recurrent disease and benign postoperative findings in patients with or without breast reconstruction. US is the initial modality of choice for evaluating palpable masses in most patients after mastectomy. In cases where US findings are not classic, however, other modalities are useful in problem solving, including both mammography and MRI. It is imperative that radiologists are educated about benign and malignant imaging characteristics, further workup considerations, and appropriate management. In cases where findings are not characteristic across multiple imaging modalities, biopsy may be warranted.