Accuracy of triple test score in the diagnosis of palpable breast lump.

Breast lump is a very sensitive issue for the patient so a reliable, non invasive and prompt diagnosis helps to lessen the associated anxiety and leads to early definitive treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of Triple Test Score (TTS) as a clinical tool for the diagnosis of a palpable breast lump. This diagnostic test study was carried out in the Department of Surgery of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Of the 117 patients admitted with breast diseases from the breast clinic over thirteen months, 87 had breast lump. Fifty patients underwent Triple Test Score ( physical examination, mammography and fine needle aspiration cytology) and were categorized into benign, suspicious and malignant. This was later correlated with the histopathological findings. Nineteen patients with breast lumps interpreted by TTS as benign correlated with the histopathological findings whereas of 31 malignant lumps, 30 turned out to be malignant and one benign. This gives TTS an over all accuracy of 98% with 100% sensitivity, 95.2% specificity and positive predictive value of 96.7%. Carcinoma was seen in 29 (58%) cases in the age group of 35 to 70 years. The mean age at diagnosis of benign and malignant disease was 41.8 and 45.1 years respectively. In conclusion, TTS is an accurate and least invasive diagnostic test based on which definitive treatment can be initiated.

Mammographic diagnosis of breast carcinoma: an institutional experience.

Mammogram is a common diagnostic modality for breast carcinoma. Diagnostic mammogram is available at only few centers in Nepal. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of diagnostic mammogram in Nepalese women suffering from breast carcinoma. A retrospective analysis of the breast carcinoma was carried out in the Department of Surgery, Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital from October 1995 to October 2007. Out of 556 patients with histologically proven breast carcinoma, 378 patients (68%) had undergone mammography. Breast carcinoma was identified on mammography in 328 (87%) cases while 50 cases (13%) were reported as normal or benign lesions. Diagnostic mammogram had a sensitivity of 86.8%, a specificity of 98.6% with a positive predictive value of 68.8% and a negative predictive value of 99.5%. In mammographically missed breast carcinoma, 34% were less than 40 years of age (P<0.05), 60% were premenopausal (P<0.05) and 88% patients presented with a painless lump. The study shows that the diagnostic accuracy of the mammogram is very high. However, there is a chance of missing the breast carcinoma in young and premenopausal women.

Predictive value of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of palpable breast lump.

A lump is the first symptom in over 80 percent of all patients with cancer of the breast. Consequently, the finding of any lump in the breast is a highly significant sign and warrants a thorough investigation. The present study was undertaken to study the predictive value of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of palpable breast lumps. Fifty-two female patients with palpable breast lumps that were unilateral underwent ultrasonography of the breast. Thirty-six of these patients who had solitary, unilateral, solid lumps were followed up with FNAC/biopsy/mammography and the findings were compared. The mean age group was seen to be 41 years. The youngest patient was 17 years old and the oldest was 80 years. The validity of USG in the diagnosis of palpable breast lumps was calculated. A sensitivity value of 95%, specificity of 94.10%, positive and negative predictive values of 95.50% and 93.75% were noted and were comparable to other similar studies. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were statistically significant (p=0.0000006) and were comparable to the values obtained by different studies conducted elsewhere. Among the multiple USG parameters, shape, margins, vascularity, surrounding tissue character, sound transmission through the lump were more significant in the diagnosis of benign vs. malignant lumps. Echogenicity and echotexture were of less significance.