Diagnosis of breast microcalcifications with contrast enhanced digital mammography and histopathological correlation

Abstract

icrocalcificaitons are a common finding on mammography and constitute up to 31% of lesions detected at screening mammography. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a potential precursor lesion of invasive ductal carcinoma, often presents with microcalcificaitons on mammography. Of all mammographically detected DCIS lesions, up to 79% manifest with microcalcifications only. Contrast-enhanced mammography can be used to visualize breast tumour angiogenesis in a technique similar to contrast enhanced MRI. The role of CEDM as a possible alternative to CEMRI for preoperative evaluation and guidance in appropriate treat¬ment options is gaining acceptance. Clinical results of CEDM have been published during the past few years, and it has been reported that the feasibility of CEDM for detecting primary cancers was similar to CEMRI. This study was conducted on 30 patients selected from Ain Shams University Hospitals, The ages ranged from 34 -67 years with a mean of 51.27 ± 9.24 (mean ± SD). The Patients that had CEDM examinations were those having mammographic suspicious breast calcifications under BIRADS 4, 5 and 6 categories.