Post surgical breast scar
Post surgical breast scar is a benign complication that usually occurs following surgical intervention to breast tissue. It can however be a strong and potentially very confusing mimicker of breast malignancy.
Radiographic features
Review of the patient's past history and previous mammography is extremely useful in radiographic interpretation.
Mammography
Often appears as an area of architectural distortion, a poorly marginated soft-tissue mass with interspersed radiolucent areas 4 or a at times a spiculated breast lesion. The abnormality may decrease slowly over time. Associated calcifications may also be present 6.
Postsurgical scarring usually has some relation to the cutaneous scar or region of previous surgical intervention.
A post surgical scar should also maintain interval stability or decrease in size over interval mammography.
Differential diagnosis
Mammographic appearances can mimic that of breast malignancy or a radial scar. This fact is one of the reasons why minimally invasive breast sampling is so advantageous.
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mammography views
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- mediolateral oblique view
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breast cancer
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breast cancer
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breast calcifications (approach)
- morphology
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