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
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is a surgical treatment for breast cancer in which the entire breast tissue is removed through a surgical procedure as opposed to a wide local excision. Sometimes, adjacent structures, such as lymph nodes, are removed to prevent recurrence or metastasis. In some cases, mastectomy is d...
Article
Benign and malignant characteristics of breast lesions at ultrasound
Benign and malignant characteristics of breast lesions at ultrasound allow the classification as either malignant, intermediate or benign based on work published by Stavros et al. in 1995.
Radiographic features
Ultrasound
Malignant characteristics (with positive predictive values)
sonog...
Article
Breast ultrasound
Breast ultrasound is an important modality in breast imaging. It is the usual initial breast imaging modality in those under 30 years of age in many countries ref.
In assessing for malignancy, it is important to remember that one must use the most suspicious feature of three modalities (patholo...
Article
Puerperal mastitis
Puerperal mastitis refers to mastitis occurring during pregnancy and lactation.
Epidemiology
It occurs most often during breast feeding and is rarely encountered during pregnancy.
Pathology
The source of infection is the nursing infant's nose and throat; the organisms being Staphylococcus au...
Article
Classification of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
The new pathological classification of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) is based on cytonuclear atypia, degree of necrosis, size, and distance from margin/architecture. Low and intermediate grades DCIS require cytologic, architectural and size criteria to be met but high-grade DCIS requires only ...
Article
Medical devices in the thorax
Medical devices in the thorax are regularly observed by radiologists when reviewing radiographs and CT scans.
Extrathoracic devices
tubing, clamps, syringes, scissors, lying on or under the patient
rubber sheets, foam mattresses, clothing, hair braids, nipple piercings, etc., may also be visi...
Article
Breast sebaceous cyst
Breast sebaceous cyst, also known as, more correctly, an epidermal inclusion cyst or simply epidermoid cyst, is a benign breast lesion (BIRADS II).
For a general discussion of this entity outside the breast, please refer to epidermal inclusion cysts.
Terminology
The two terms, breast sebace...
Article
Leave alone lesions - breast
Breast leave alone lesions are so characteristic on mammography that further diagnostic tests such as a biopsy are unnecessary. All of these lesions are entirely benign and known as BI-RADS 2 findings:
lipoma: fat density; well-defined rounded lesion
oil cyst: fat density; well-defined lesion;...
Article
Clustered microcysts
Clustered microcysts, or a microcystic cluster, refer to part of the spectrum of cystic change in the breast on ultrasound. They are part of aberrations in development and involution of the breast.
Pathology
These lesions have no malignant potential 1,2.
Clinical presentation
These lesions a...
Article
Fibroadenoma (breast)
Fibroadenoma is a common benign breast lesion and results from the excess proliferation of connective tissue. Fibroadenomas characteristically contain both stromal and epithelial cells.
Epidemiology
They usually occur in women between the ages of 10 and 40 years. It is the most common solid b...
Article
Stellate breast lesions: causes (mnemonic)
A handy mnemonic to recall the causes of a stellate breast lesion is:
STARFACE
Mnemonic
S: summation shadow
T: tumor (i.e. invasive breast cancer)
A: abscess
R: radial scar
F: fibroadenoma / fat necrosis
A: adenosis (sclerosing)
CE: other causes, hematoma (e.g. postoperative, post biops...
Article
Lymphatic drainage of the breast
Lymphatic drainage of breast originates from breast lobules and flows through intramammary nodes and channels into a subareolar plexus, called Sappey’s plexus. From this plexus, lymphatic drainage takes place through three main routes that parallel venous tributaries. Lymphatics from the left br...
Article
Breast tissue markers
Breast tissue markers are a common finding in breast radiology. These are typically inserted following percutaneous biopsy, either under ultrasound or sterotactic guidance. They can be invaluable in identifying known benign areas or shrinking/treated malignant lesions on follow up imaging.
A nu...
Article
Simple breast cyst
Simple breast cysts are a common benign cause of a breast lump in women.
Clinical presentation
Patients may be asymptomatic or present with a breast lump. Some patients may have associated pain or tenderness.
Pathology
Breast cysts are caused by blockage of the terminal acini with resultant ...
Article
Nipple inversion
Nipple inversion is an important finding on mammography and correlation with patient history is essential. When nipple abnormalities such as inversion are identified, it is important for the technologist to document them in the medical record / mammography worksheet so that the radiologist will ...
Article
Calcific axillary lymphadenopathy (differential)
Calcific axillary lymphadenopathy is in general, more concerning than axillary lymphadenopathy alone and is particularly so if it contains microcalcifications. While this is concerning for malignancy, it can also occur from occasional nonmalignant causes.
Pathology
Etiology
metastatic axillar...
Article
Mondor disease (breast)
Mondor disease is a rare benign breast condition characterized by thrombophlebitis of the subcutaneous veins of the breast and anterior chest wall. It can also occur in the axilla, when it is called axillary web syndrome, or the penis.
Epidemiology
Although Mondor disease is rarely reported i...
Article
Breast MRI
Breast MRI is the most sensitive method (>90%) for the detection of breast cancer. Its role in diagnosis and management continues to evolve 13.
Terminology
Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI provides information about the morphology and function of a lesion with high sensitivity but moderate ...
Article
Intramammary lymph nodes
The intramammary lymph nodes (IMLN) (a.k.a. intramammary nodes) are lymph nodes within the breast tissue. In breast imaging, they generally fall into BIRADS II lesions 7. They can be solitary or multiple. This article discusses normal (physiological) intramammary lymph nodes.
Epidemiology
Intr...
Article
Milk of calcium within a breast cyst
Milk of calcium within a breast cyst is a mammographic feature observed when there is dependent calcium layering within breast cysts. It is typically observed as "tea cup" or "crescent shaped" calcifications on a true lateral (LM or ML) view or occasionally on a MLO view. On a CC view, these cal...
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