[Primary mammary cytosteatonecrosis : radiological, clinical, and pathological features in 29 cases (author's...

The authors report 29 cases of primary mammary cytosteatonecrosis. Diagnosis can be difficult when clinical and radiological signs suggest a cancer, and this was the case in about half of these cases. Radiological signs suggest the diagnosis in only 10 p. cent of cases, even though the evocative signs (clear images surrounded by a border of condensation) are usually associated with suspicious shin lesions, and require histological verification. Even though lesions that are limited in extent when examined clinically and radiologically may be a cancer, the inverse position, though very much less frequent, can also apply, and a very suggestive lesion with spicules and skin retraction may be benign. Histological examination before any minor surgery is always essential.