IMPORTANT: We currently have a number of bugs related to image cropping and are actively trying to resolve them. In the meantime, we have disabled cropping. Apologies for any inconvenience. Stay informed: radiopaedia.org/chat

Previous breast cancer - axillary surgical clips (chest x-ray)

Case contributed by Garth Kruger
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Previous carcinoma right breast

Patient Data

Age: 50
Gender: Female

Surgical clips in the axillary tail of the right breast. Look at the lateral view carefully.

Annotated images showing surgical clips. 

Case Discussion

20 years ago the right breast shadow would likely be absent or significantly distorted. These days the profile of the breast can be normal even after therapy. Early diagnosis of breast cancer makes minimally invasive therapy possible with cosmetically acceptable results. The smaller the breast cancer at the time of the diagnosis, the better the chance at survival. Small is better.

How to use cases

You can use Radiopaedia cases in a variety of ways to help you learn and teach.

Creating your own cases is easy.

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.