Articles
Articles are a collaborative effort to provide a single canonical page on all topics relevant to the practice of radiology. As such, articles are written and continuously improved upon by countless contributing members. Our dedicated editors oversee each edit for accuracy and style. Find out more about articles.
359 results found
Article
20° oblique projection
20° oblique projection is a troubleshooting projection used in mammography, especially in young women and in follow-up patients.
Technique
The C-arm is turned approximately 20° for a superomedial-inferolateral oblique. With the patient's feet pointing towards the unit and her torso turned slig...
Article
5-tier ACR system of radiologic breast findings (historical)
The 5-tier ACR system was a previously used system for the classification of radiologic breast findings, proposed by the American College of Radiology (ACR) ref. It is no longer in use having been superseded by the 6-tier BI-RADS classification system first published in 1992 1.
Classification
...
Article
Aberrations in the normal development and involution of the breast
Aberrations in the Normal Development and Involution (ANDI) of the breast is an overarching term used to describe a wide spectrum of benign breast disease. As the name suggests, it is based on the theory that most of the encountered benign breast disorders are aberrations in the normal developme...
Article
Abscess
Abscesses are focal confined collections of suppurative inflammatory material and can be thought of as having three components 1:
a central core consisting of necrotic inflammatory cells and local tissue
peripheral halo of viable neutrophils
surrounded by a 'capsule' with dilated blood vessel...
Article
Accessory breast tissue
Accessory breast tissue, also known as polymastia, is a relatively common congenital condition in which abnormal accessory breast tissue is seen in addition to the presence of normal breast tissue. This normal variant can present as a mass anywhere along the course of the embryologic mammary str...
Article
Adenoid cystic carcinoma
Adenoid cystic carcinomas are a rare histological subtype of adenocarcinoma.
Pathology
Adenoid cystic carcinomas are generally considered low grade 4. The tumors have a notable tendency for perineural spread.
Location
They have a wide distribution and mainly occur in relation to the airways,...
Article
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast
Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the breast is a rare subtype of breast cancer.
Epidemiology
They account for only 0.1-0.4% of all breast cancers.
Pathology
The tumor demonstrates a strikingly characteristic microscopic pattern similar to that of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gla...
Article
Adenomatous breast lesions
Adenomatous breast lesions are benign tumors that grow from glandular parenchyma. The breast is a conglomeration of various glandular tissues, hence they can be of several types.
tubular adenoma
lactating adenoma
apocrine adenoma of the breast
pleomorphic adenoma of the breast
ductal adeno...
Article
Adenosis of the breast
Adenosis of the breast is a benign lobulocentric proliferative process in which lobules are enlarged and increased in number in addition to an increased number of glands within each lobule.
Pathologically subclassified into three main subtypes which include:
sclerosing adenosis of the breast
...
Article
Air-tissue interface sign - breast
Air-tissue interface sign on mammography in cases where the mass is located on the skin helps to distinguish it from intra-mammary mass so that in the skin-based lesion, due to the presence of air in the vicinity of a part of the margin, its border is pretty sharp and a narrow lucent rim around ...
Article
Albert Salomon
Albert Salomon (1883-1976), a German surgeon, was the first physician to study x-rays of breast tissue.
Development of mammography
Salomon worked at the Royal Surgical University Clinic in Berlin and from about 1913 x-rayed 3000 breast specimens obtained from the morgue in an attempt to identi...
Article
Altered breast density between two mammograms
Mammographic screening detects early breast cancers and thereby reduces potential mortality. However, its sensitivity is inversely related to breast density 1.
Altered density between two mammograms can arise in a number of situations:
Affecting both breasts:
interval commencement/cessation ...
Article
Amastia
Amastia is a rare congenital condition characterized by the absence of breast tissue, nipple and areola. This may occur unilaterally or bilaterally.
Pathology
During embryological development, breasts first appear as ectoderm ridges during the 6th week of gestation. This ridge grows thicker an...
Article
Amazia
Amazia is a rare congenital condition defined by the absence of breast tissue (glandular parenchyma in either one or both of the breasts) and a normal nipple and areola complex. However, the most common etiology of amazia is iatrogenic; biopsy of the developing breast and the use of radiation th...
Article
Amorphous calcifications (breast)
Amorphous calcifications, previously known as indistinct calcifications, are a morphological descriptor for breast calcifications that are small and/or hazy such that no clearly defined shape/form can be ascribed.
Pathology
Many benign and malignant conditions may be seen in association with ...
Article
Anatomy curriculum
The anatomy curriculum is one of our curriculum articles and aims to be a collection of articles that represent the core anatomy knowledge for radiologists and imaging specialists.
General anatomy
Neuroanatomy
Head and neck anatomy
Thoracic anatomy
Abdominal and pelvic anatomy
Spinal anat...
Article
Angiosarcoma of breast
Breast angiosarcomas are a rare vascular breast malignancy.
Epidemiology
As primary tumors of the breast, they account for ~0.04% 2 of all breast cancers and tend to occur in younger women, in their 3rd to 4th decades.
Secondary angiosarcoma, related to prior therapy of breast cancer, has an ...
Article
Apocrine carcinoma of the breast
Apocrine carcinoma of the breast is a rare variant of breast cancer. The diagnosis is mainly pathological as it is difficult to differentiate from other forms of breast cancer on imaging.
Epidemiology
It accounts for about 4% of all cases. It is seen most often in females in the age group of 5...
Article
Apocrine metaplasia of the breast
Apocrine metaplasia of the breast is a benign breast condition and is sometimes considered part of or associated with fibrocystic change. It is a common finding in the female breast, particularly after the age of 25, and many regard it as a normal component of the breast.
Epidemiology
Seen mos...
Article
Artifacts that mimic breast calcification
Artifacts that mimic breast calcification can arise from a number of external sources of radiopaque material that leave particulate residue on or within the skin. These include:
deodorants/antiperspirants, particularly solid applicator products 1
powders, such as those containing talc 2...