Carcinoma right breast

Case contributed by Garth Kruger
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Screening mammogram

Patient Data

Age: 55 years
Gender: Female
mammography

CC view right breast 2012. No abnormality. Dense breast.

mammography

Two years later an abnormal new density centrally medial.

Annotated image

Abnormal new density centrally medial (arrow).

mammography

Persistent density on the mag view.

ultrasound

Tall as broad, sharp angles, short lobulated margins.

Case Discussion

This lesion was later to be confirmed IDC of the right breast.

I am never sure on the mag view if I actually see the lesion or if it is not in the field of view. This is specially true of dense breasts; its sometimes very difficult to orient yourself exactly as to position. This is a big problem in larger breasts. Looking at the mag view above, I think the tech is about right in the positioning. I am no nearer an answer after the trouble of the mag view than before. If so, why do it?

Old school radiologists used to say anecdotally that you could compress a cancer "away". There is not proof of this as far as I know. But look at the mag view again: note how much relatively denser the surrounding tissue is compared with the compressed tissue centrally...

If you are going to use mag views for parenchymal asymmetry, do so thoughtfully and carefully. In my experience, it is simpler quicker and easier all round to simply do rolled CC and ML views in these cases and then go on to the ultrasound.

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