Mucinous versus medullary breast carcinoma: mammography, ultrasound, and MRI findings.

Mucinous and medullary breast cancers (BCs) have different histological substrates that manifest as different imaging features on mammography, ultrasound, and MRI. The aim of the present review is to demonstrate the differences between these two rare BC subtypes and to describe the microscopic features, review the imaging methods for detection of both cancer subtypes, illustrate the imaging findings and present useful pearls and pitfalls. Out of a total of 30 patients with mucinous BC and nine with medullary BC, we have selected typical and also unusual imaging features that best represent these cancers. The patients underwent a mammography and breast ultrasound followed by magnetic resonance imaging. We briefly exhibit histological characteristics for a better understanding of the imaging aspects.

Typical and unusual sonoelastographic patterns of breast cystic lesions: impact on BI-RADS classification.

PURPOSE: To describe the sonoelastographic appearance of breast cysts (simple, complicated-cysts with sedimentation and complex-cysts with internal solid parts). To assess the influence of sonoelastography on the BI-RADS classification of complicated cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted and all cysts diagnosed by the same radiologist between May 2007 and July 2008 in our breast unit were included. Each lesion was assessed according to BI-RADS and the Tsukuba elasticity score using a Hitachi 8500 US device. Cytology or histopathology was obtained for complicated and complex cysts. RESULTS: 49 simple, 43 complicated and 14 complex cysts were detected. The elasticity patterns were divided into 4 categories: typical BGR (blue-green-red) pattern, appearance similar to that described for solid. lesions, variants of BGR, an inverse score of 3. The BGR pattern was predominant in breast cysts. Atypical elasticity patterns were mostly associated with complicated and complex cysts. BI-RADS classification of complicated cysts before and after elastography showed a statistically significant difference in terms of final category assessment (most of the complicated cysts were downgraded to BI-RADS 2 after elastography). CONCLUSION: Being aware of the wide spectrum of elastographic patterns of breast cysts and considering elastography when assessing the BI-RADS category of complicated cysts may lead radiologists to better patient management.