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Ductal carcinoma in situ - microcalcifications

Case contributed by Garth Kruger
Diagnosis certain

Patient Data

Gender: Female

Microcalcifications in the outer left breast. 

The optical magnification view of the same day.

Case Discussion

Be clear in your own mind about the difference in optical magnification and digital magnification. Do not confuse the two. The optical mag view gives you so much more information about what is happening in the breast. You see the calcifications better and more are seen than on the conventional view. You are now also seeing the parenchymal distortion hinted at in the image above. This is a DCIS case

Mag views of calcifications give extra information.

Personally I do mag views for calcification and rolled CC and ML views for parenchymal asymmetries. Others will differ but this makes good sense in everyday practice. If you mag a blob you get a bigger blob.

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