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Clinical Significance and Pathologic Outcomes of Coarse Heterogeneous Calcifications Detected on a Mammography  

Lim, Hyun-Ju (Department of Radiology, Korea University College of Medicine)
Cho, Kyu-Ran (Department of Radiology, Korea University College of Medicine)
Seo, Bo-Kyung (Department of Radiology, Korea University College of Medicine)
Woo, Ok-Hee (Department of Radiology, Korea University College of Medicine)
Hwang, Kyu-Won (Department of Radiology, Korea University College of Medicine)
Oh, Yu-Whan (Department of Radiology, Korea University College of Medicine)
Bae, Jeoung-Won (Department of Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine)
Park, Kyung-Hwa (Department of Oncology, Korea University College of Medicine)
Publication Information
Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology / v.65, no.6, 2011 , pp. 595-601 More about this Journal
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the clinical significance and pathologic outcome of coarse heterogeneous calcifications (CHCs) detected on a mammography. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of our institutional mammographic database revealed 65 women with CHCs. Of these, we included 27 with pathologic verification (n = 27; benign in 13, malignancy in 14). Mammograms were interpreted in terms of CHC distribution (clustered, linear, segmental, regional, or diffuse), the area of CHCs, and associated findings. We also evaluated the presence of mass, ductal change, or change of parenchymal echogenicity on ultrasound images (n = 26). We correlated and statistically analyzed the radiologic features with pathologic findings. Results: The individual distributional descriptors of CHCs predicted the risk of malignancy as follows: clustered (8/22); linear (1/2); regional (0/1); segmental (5/5). The segmental distribution predicted malignancy (p < 0.05). The CHC area in malignant lesions was larger than that of benign lesions (p < 0.05). Mammography revealed an associated mass in 2 out of 13 benign and 5 out of 14 malignancies. However, an increased risk of malignancy was not shown by the presence of an associated mass and its larger size. Ultrasound findings were not significant for predicting malignancy. Conclusion: CHCs were verified as malignancy in 52% of cases, especially when characterized by segmental distribution and larger CHC areas on mammography.
Keywords
Coarse Calcification; Mammography; Breast; Breast Cancer; Diagnosis;
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