Granulomatous mastitis: etiology, imaging, pathology, treatment, and clinical findings.

PURPOSE: To outline the demographics, clinical presentation, imaging features, and treatment modalities observed among a series of patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven granulomatous mastitis (GM). METHOD: Following approval by institutional review board, retrospective chart review was performed on patients with biopsy-proven granulomatous mastitis at our institution in the period from January 2013 until October 2017. RESULTS: A total of 90 patients were identified: 87 women and 3 men. The mean age was 35 years, mostly women in their reproductive age. In our study, patients with GM were more likely to be Hispanic compared to the general population. Sixty-three percent of patients were within 5 years of previous pregnancy. Painful palpable mass-like lesion was the most common physical finding. Breast ultrasound (US) was performed in all patients, and most commonly showed a hypoechoic irregular-shaped mass. Mammography (MG) showed asymmetry or irregular mass as the main finding. Definitive diagnosis was obtained by imaging-guided core needle biopsies in 94.4%. Conservative management was preferred, and only one patient underwent surgery. CONCLUSION: Although clinical and radiological findings of patients with GM may mimic those of breast carcinoma, our study showed that women of childbearing age, especially among Hispanic ethnicity with a recent history of pregnancy or high prolactin level and newly tender mass-like lesion, in addition to new focal asymmetry on mammogram and heterogeneous hypoechoic irregular-shaped mass on ultrasound exam, should raise concern for GM. Non-invasive approach and clinical follow-up were the preferred treatment method.

Detection of multicentric and contralateral breast cancers on MRI based on primary cancer biomarker status: will this change surgical or medical management?

PURPOSE: The utilization of staging preoperative breast MRI in biopsy-proven cancer patients varies based on institution and individual clinicians. It is unclear whether primary breast cancer subtype influences a clinician's decision to obtain a preoperative breast MRI based on likelihood of multicentric or contralateral disease, which may change surgical or medical management. Our purpose was to compare the four main breast cancer subtypes in our patient population (i.e., luminal A, luminal B, HER2 enriched and triple-negative) who underwent pretreatment staging MRIs to determine whether certain breast cancer subtypes are more likely to have multicentric or contralateral disease. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 435 patients with biopsy-proven invasive breast cancer who had staging MRI. RESULTS: Of these patients, 14 had biopsy-proven multicentric disease (3.2% of total) and 15 had biopsy-proven contralateral second tumor sites (3.4% of total). There was no statistically significant difference between primary tumor subtype and likelihood of multicentric or contralateral disease (p = 0.3065). CONCLUSION: Pretreatment staging MRI can detect multicentric and/or contralateral additional tumor sites, which ultimately changes staging, treatment options, and outcomes for patients with biopsy-proven breast cancer. There is no correlation between primary breast cancer subtype and likelihood of multicentric or contralateral disease.

Microcalcifications in 1657 Patients with Pure Ductal Carcinoma in Situ of the Breast: Correlation with Clinical, Histopathologic, Biologic Features, and Local Recurrence.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the relationship of microcalcification morphology and distribution with clinical, histopathologic, biologic features, and local recurrence (LR) in patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. METHODS: All patients with pure DCIS who underwent preoperative mammography at our institution from 1996 through 2009 were identified. Mammographic findings were classified according to the ACR BI-RADS lexicon. Associations between mammographic findings and clinical, histopathologic, biologic characteristics, and LR were analyzed. Statistical inference used multiple logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression adjusted for age and confounding due to bias from nonrandomized selection of radiation therapy. RESULTS: We identified 1657 patients with microcalcifications visualized on mammography. The mean age at diagnosis was 55 years (SD, 11). The mean follow-up was 7 years (range 1-16). Ipsilateral LR was 4 % in segmentectomy (987) and 1.5 % in mastectomy (670) patients. Increased LR risk was seen in patients with dense breast tissue (p < 0.05) and larger DCIS size (p < 0.01). Radiation therapy was associated with a 2.8-fold decrease in the LR risk. Fine linear (branching) microcalcifications were associated with 5.2-fold increase in LR. Extremely dense breast tissue was associated with positive/close margins (p = 0.04) and multicentricity (p < 0.01). Younger women were more likely to have extremely dense breast tissue (p < 0.0001), multicentric disease (p < 0.0004), and undergo mastectomy (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Dense breast tissue, large DCIS size, and fine linear (branching) microcalcifications were associated with increased LR, yet overall LR rates remained low. Extremely dense breast tissue was a risk factor for multicentricity and positive margins in DCIS.

Correlation between sonographic findings and clinicopathologic and biologic features of pure ductal carcinoma in situ in 691 patients.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to compare the sonographic features of pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions with the initial clinical presentation and histopathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The images and records of 691 patients with pure DCIS who underwent preoperative mammography and whole-breast sonography as part of staging workup in a single institution from January 1, 1996, through July 31, 2009, were reviewed. The BI-RADS sonography lexicon was used when reviewing the sonographic studies. Histopathologic features recorded included estrogen receptor (ER) status, nuclear grade, and presence or absence of comedonecrosis. Statistical comparisons were made using the Student t test, chi-square test, Fisher exact test, Kruskal-Wallis or Wilcoxon rank sum test, multiple logistic regression analysis, and Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: A total of 304 (44%) tumors were visible on mammography and sonography; 315 (46%), on mammography only; 58 (8%), on sonography only; and 14 (2%), on neither mammography nor sonography. The most common sonographic appearance of DCIS was an irregular hypoechoic mass with indistinct margins and normal posterior features that was indistinguishable from invasive carcinoma. Patients with symptomatic high-nuclear-grade DCIS, dense breasts, and comedonecrosis were younger and had larger tumors on sonography than asymptomatic women with nondense breasts and low-nuclear-grade and noncomedo DCIS. Women with ER-negative DCIS were older and had larger tumors on sonography than women with ER-positive DCIS. ER-negative tumors were more frequently visible on sonography than ER-positive tumors (p=0.007). High-grade DCIS (p<0.0001) and comedo DCIS (p<0.0001) presented more frequently as microcalcifications, architectural distortion, and ductal changes on sonography than low-grade DCIS or noncomedo DCIS. CONCLUSION: Of the 691 pure DCIS lesions, 362 (52%) were visible on sonography and presented most commonly as a mass. Lesion visibility of DCIS on sonography was not related to nuclear grade or the presence of comedonecrosis.

Clinicopathologic, mammographic, and sonographic features in 1,187 patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast by estrogen receptor status.

The clinicopathologic, mammographic, and sonographic findings in patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were assessed by estrogen receptor (ER) expression. After institutional review board approval, patients with pure DCIS evaluated from January 1996 to July 2009 with known ER status and available imaging were identified. Images were reviewed as per the ACR BI-RADS(®) lexicon (4th edition). Clinical, pathologic, and imaging characteristics were analyzed by ER status using t test, Chi square test, and Fisher's exact test. Of 1,219 patients with pure DCIS and known ER status identified, 1,187 with complete data were included. Mammography was performed in all 1,187 patients and sonography in 519 (44 %). There were 972 (82 %) patients with ER-positive and 215 (18 %) with ER-negative disease. ER-negative DCIS was more likely to be high grade (93 vs 44 %, p < 0.0001), associated with comedonecrosis (64 vs 29 %, p < 0.0001), and multifocal (23 vs 15 %, p = 0.009). On sonography, ER-negative DCIS was more likely to be visible (61 vs 46 %, p = 0.004), larger (mean size, 2.3 vs 1.6 cm, p = 0.006), and show posterior shadowing (53 vs 28 %, p = 0.006). Mastectomy was more frequently performed for ER-negative DCIS (47 vs 37 %, p = 0.008). Palpable DCIS was visible on sonography in 55 % of cases and mammography in 81 %. Compared with ER-positive palpable DCIS, ER-negative palpable DCIS was larger and more likely to be visible on sonography. Compared with ER-positive noncalcified DCIS, ER-negative noncalcified DCIS was less likely to be visible on mammography. ER-positive and ER-negative pure DCIS have different clinicopathologic and imaging characteristics. ER-negative DCIS is associated with worse prognostic factors than ER-positive DCIS. On sonography, ER-negative DCIS is more frequently visible than ER-positive DCIS, tends to be larger, and more frequently demonstrates posterior shadowing.

Benign breast lesions detected by positron emission tomography-computed tomography.

(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission computed tomography (FDG PET-CT) is widely used in the initial staging and response evaluation of patients with malignancy. This review describes a spectrum of benign breast findings incidentally detected by FDG PET-CT at staging that may be misinterpreted as malignancy. We describe the pattern of distribution and intensity of FDG uptake in a spectrum of benign breast diseases with their corresponding typical morphological imaging characteristics to help the nuclear medicine physician and/or general radiologist identify benign lesions, avoiding unnecessary breast imaging work-up and biopsies.

Metastases to the breast from extramammary malignancies - PET/CT findings.

Detection of incidental malignant lesions in the breast has a significant clinical impact not only on healthy individuals but also on patients with known malignant disease. This review describes a spectrum of metastatic breast lesions incidentally detected by FDG PET-CT at staging that may be misinterpreted as second primary malignancy. The common non-mammary malignancies that metastasize to the breast include melanoma, hematopoietic malignancies and epithelial cancers. We present the FDG PET-CT features of incidental non-mammary metastases to the breast that may help distinguish primary breast cancer from metastatic disease and aid in the management of patients with a known malignancy.