Role of sonoelastography in characterising breast nodules. Preliminary experience with 120 lesions.

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sonoelastography in differentiating and characterising nodular breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 120 nodular lesions diagnosed on mammography and/or ultrasonography in 110 women (mean age 51.27 years) were evaluated with sonoelastography and classified according to elasticity score (S1-S5). Needle biopsy was performed in 104/120 cases, whereas 16/120 were sent for follow-up. Sensitivity and specificity of sonoelastography were determined by taking biopsy findings as the gold standard. RESULTS: Biopsy yielded the following results: 66 benign, three equivocal and 35 malignant lesions. Sensitivity and specificity of sonoelastography were, respectively, 88.5% and 92.7%. All nodules with an elasticity score of 5 were malignant, and those with a score

Imaging, histology and hormonal features of five cases of male breast cancer observed in a single year: comparison with the literature.

PURPOSE: The authors assessed mammographic and ultrasound (US) features and histological and biological characteristics of male breast carcinomas observed in five men (mean age 57.8 years) in a single year and compared the findings with the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients underwent history taking and bilateral mammography and US examination extended to the axillary region and complemented with colour Doppler US. RESULTS: Three out of five patients had a family history of breast cancer, and all of them had an altered energy balance (mean body mass index 30.8). All subjects had a palpable mass, which was associated with bloody nipple discharge in two cases. Mammography identified all lesions as opacities with irregular margins (mean size 1.98 cm); in one case, it also revealed a nonpalpable contralateral lesion. US demonstrated the presence of inhomogeneously hypoechoic nodules with irregular margins and centrifugal vascular spots in 4/6 lesions. Histology diagnosed invasive ductal cancer (IDC) in 5/6 lesions (83.3%) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in the contralateral lesion only. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of symptoms warrants mammography, which is an accurate method for identifying male breast cancer. The frequency of invasive disease observed in our study was consistent with the literature (80%-90% IDC). The hormonal alterations induced by excess fat in our series appear to be correlated with the development of carcinomas with positive receptor status for both oestrogen and progesterone.