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 on occasionally on a MLO view. On a CC view, these calcifications can appear smudged due to being viewed en face. The presence of milk of calcium is in a vast majority of cases, a very reassuring feature for benign breast disease.
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Pathology
Entities in which this feature could be observed include:
- fibrocystic changes-cystic hyperplasia of the breast: small crescents
- large simple breast cysts: large crescents
Mammography
- craniocaudal (CC) view: round/smudged microcalcification
- mediolateral oblique view (MLO): linear
- mediolateral (ML) view: heavier calcium sediments layer in the bases of microcysts-meniscoid appearance
Differential diagnosis
If milk of calcium is superimposed with more pleomorphic microcalcifications (a very rare situation), consider apocrine carcinoma of the breast 1.
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Breast imaging and pathology
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breast calcifications (approach)
- morphology
- distribution
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- lobular calcification within breast tissue
- intraductal calcification within breast tissue
- milk of calcium within a breast cyst
- vascular calcification in breast tissue
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