[Breast cysts--diagnosis and therapy]

The authors present the results of the diagnosis of 1405 cases of macroscopically evident breast cysts. Only 15% patients were younger than 40 and only 6% older than 55 years. All lesions were cytologically analysed. The results were classified as negative in 1120 (79.9%), suspect in 27 (1.9%) and positive in 6 (0.4%) of cases. In 18% (n = 252) of cases aspirates were not adequate for cytologic evaluation. During a five-year follow-up period no new cyst was confirmed in 69.2% of cases, while in 30.8% of cases new cysts were diagnosed in yearly examinations during the observed period. Five (2.6%) intracystic proliferations were selected from the 190 cysts studied by means of pneumocystography. In the group presented three intracystic cancers were diagnosed by the combination of different diagnostic methods. The authors conclude that the introduction of ultrasound in breast cyst diagnostic work has reduced indications for pneumocystography and the cytologic evaluation of aspirates.