ABSTRACT
Breast density is a radiological concept based on the proportion of radiopaque glandular tissue relative to radiolucent fatty tissue. Mammographic evaluation of dense breasts is more difficult, related to technical difficulties, with decreased rates for detection and characterization of breast lesions, resulting in reduced sensitivity with increased number of interval cancers at routine follow-up when compared to radiolucent breasts. We will review the definition of dense breasts and their frequency, especially their relationship with the age of patients. We will discuss the current technical problems and the impact of breast density on the efficacy of conventional mammography. We will discuss the value of digital mammography, the role of computer assisted diagnosis (CAD) systems and tomosynthesis in the evaluation of dense breasts.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Breast , Mammography/methods , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Biopsy , Breast/pathology , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Female , Humans , Menstrual Cycle , Middle Aged , Multicenter Studies as Topic , Parity , Pregnancy , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: A case report of purely epidural foraminal cervical cavernous angioma assessed by magnetic resonance imaging and diagnosed at pathologic study. OBJECTIVE: To illustrate a rare cause of cervical foraminal mass mimicking a schwannoma. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Several cases of epidural cavernous angioma have been reported. A purely epidural cavernous angioma in a cervical foramen has never been reported in the literature. METHOD: A 36-year-old man sought treatment for acute weakness in his right upper limb with radicular distribution. On magnetic resonance images, the lesion appeared as a foraminal mass with no bone invasion or hematic components. It enhanced after intravenous administration of Gadolinium. Pathologic study after surgery showed a typical cavernous angioma. RESULTS: The patient improved slightly after surgery. CONCLUSION: Clinical and radiologic presentation could be confusing in a purely foraminal epidural cervical cavernous hemangioma. Cavernous hemangioma must be known as a differential diagnosis of a foraminal schwannoma. Diagnosis of cavernous angioma is made easily on pathologic examination.
Subject(s)
Cervical Vertebrae/pathology , Hemangioma/pathology , Neurilemmoma/pathology , Spinal Neoplasms/pathology , Adult , Diagnosis, Differential , Epidural Space , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , MaleABSTRACT
Carcinomas of the prostate and breast are the most common sources of osteosclerotic metastases. The osteoblastic response is related to stromal bone formation and reactive bone formation. Purely osteosclerotic or mixed osteolytic-osteosclerotic lesions are encountered. Frequent differential diagnoses are enostoses and Paget's disease. The classical MRI pattern is a signal of low intensity on T1 and T2- weighted sequences, but some osteoblastic metastases have an inhomogenous signal. Evaluation of the response to treatment is difficult and requires confrontation with clinical and biological data.
