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Mammographic halo sign revisited
T E Cupples1, G W Eklund, G Cardenosa
1Susan G. Komen Breast Center, Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, IL 61614, USA.
Purpose:
To determine whether increased silver halide deposition accounts for some curvilinear areas of hyperlucency (halo signs) that surround breast masses on screen-film mammograms.
Materials And Methods:
Breast images obtained in 43 women (aged 30-67 years; mean, 48.6 years) that showed a halo sign were selected from the authors' teaching files. Optical magnification (x8.0-12.5) of the masses with halos was used to establish the pattern of silver halide deposition in the film emulsion.
Results:
True radiolucent halos, differentiated from Mach bands by means of the increased silver halide deposition in the film emulsion, were identified in 44 masses in 36 women. Partial true radiolucent halos were identified in 32 (73%) of 44 masses. Thirty-eight (86%) of the 44 masses were cysts; three (7%), fibroadenomas; two (4%), infiltrating ductal carcinomas; and one (2%), axillary lymph node metastasis. True radiolucent halos were more common in growing benign and malignant lesions.
Conclusion:
A halo is not always a perceptual illusion.