- To describe the chest wall anatomy after mastectomy.- To illustrate the spectrum of US findings of benign and malignant conditions that can be found at the mastectomy site.- To correlate these imaging features with pathologic findings.

Despite efforts to increase the rate of conservative breast surgery, modified radical mastectomy is still considered to be the primary surgical treatment method in patients who have multicentric tumors or extensive ductal carcinoma in situ, for those in whom tumor-free margins cannot be achieved with lumpectomy alone or when there are contraindications to radiation therapy. The procedure involves removal of the breast and the pectoralis minor muscle but preservation of the pectoralis major muscle.The reported local failure following mastectomy ranges from 5% to 27%. Around...

Seroma formation is the most common complication early in the postsurgical period, especially when axillary dissection is performed, with reported rates as high as 60% [7]. Seromas present as oval, circumscribed anechoic or low-level containing fluid collections (Fig. 1). Hematomas may show strong internal echoes and obvious thick strands (Figs. 2-3). US can easily differentiate this post-surgical collections from recurrent tumors, and is also the method of choice for imaging follow-up and for needle guidance for fluid aspiration when required. Fat necrosis within a mastectomy...

US is an important adjunct to clinical examination for the follow-up of the mastectomy site, and the radiologist must be familiar with the appearance of the thoracic and the axillary scars and the abnormalities that may be found. US can accurately detect benign and malignant conditions and it is the method of choice for guiding FNAB in cases of equivocal findings.

1.- Yadav BS, Sharma SC, Singh R, Singh G. Patterns of relapse in locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiotherapy. J Cancer Res Ther. 2007 Apr-Jun;3(2):75-80. 2.- Magno L, Bignardi M, Micheletti E, Bardelli D, Plebani F. Analysis of prognostic factors in patients with isolated chest wall recurrence of breast cancer. Cancer. 1987 Jul 15;60(2):240-4. 3.- Khatcheressian JL, Wolff AC, Smith TJ, Grunfeld E, Muss HB, Vogel VG, Halberg F, Somerfield MR, Davidson NE; American Society of Clinical Oncology....