title: Mammographic spectrum of traumatic fat necrosis: the fallibility of "pathognomonic" signs of carcinoma.
abstract: Five cases are presented which illustrate the spectrum of mammographic features of traumatic fat necrosis. The appearances vary from one indistinguishable from carcinoma to single or multiple lipid-filled cysts with or without calcified walls. Branching, rodlike, or angular microcalcifications associated with fat necrosis may resemble the calcifications associated with carcinoma. A location close to the skin or areola is a clue that the lesion may have resulted from blunt or surgical trauma. A review of these cases leads us to the important conclusion that while breast carcinoma in some cases has characteristic radiographic findings, there are no "pathognomonic" findings.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000293:injuries*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005218:Fat Necrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*