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Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Neoplasia, Diagnostic procedure, Ultrasound, MR, Mammography, Breast
Authors:
R. M. Lorente Ramos, F. J. Azpeitia Armán, M. T. Rivera García, I. Casado Fariñas, E. Cueva Perez; Madrid/ES
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2015/C-0889
Background
Most breast cancers appear as suspicious lesions at imaging,
and most well-circumscribed breast masses are benign lesions.
Breast cancers usually appear at mammography,
ultrasound (US),
and magnetic resonance (MR) as irregular non-circumscribed masses,
with or without microcalcifications.
However,
in 10 to 20% of all cases breast malignancies may present with a non-aggresive benign-looking appearance.
Features of benign lesions,
such as well-circumscribed breast masses,
cystic or hyperechoic lesions may be the initial findings depicted in certain breast cancers.
Therefore,
it is important to learn the imaging features of those tricky malignancies in order to be able to recognize them.
Imaging features of breast lesions are explained by the histopathological data,
hence these features are more frequent in certain histological types of malignancy usually slowly-growing tumors,
or tumors with frequent cystic areas.
Infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) may present with falsely benign-looking imaging appearance,
but the malignancies which most frequently appear with a benign appearance include,
mucinous or colloid carcinoma,
medullary carcinoma,
papillary carcinoma,
most frequently the intracystic type,
and malignant phyllodes tumors.