[Mammary duct ectasia: nosologic assessment. Features and echographic incidence]

This work was aimed at framing duct ectasia as a nosologic entity and at studying its features and US incidence. Duct ectasia is a generally asymptomatic disorder of the mammary gland, which is usually included in the generic terms of mammary dysplasia, mastopathy, and so on. Nine hundred patients underwent US with a high-definition probe. They were divided into five groups according to age--i.e., 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60 years old, and over 60. Three hundred and two patients had undergone mammography in the previous six months: mammograms were selected according to Wolfe patterns. Radial US scans were performed around the nipple to detect the presence of major duct ectasia, which spreads centrifugally following a segmental pattern through the breast. US features included linear rosary-like dilatations and pseudocystic ectasia. On transverse scans, the ducts sometimes exhibited cyst-like appearance. Nearly 50% of patients was asymptomatic. US incidence rates did not differ from histologic rates; duct disorder prevails between 50 and 60 years of age and is absent in women under 30. US is an extremely simple method to study this disorder of the mammary gland.