title: Breast specimen microcalcifications: radiographic validation and pathologic-radiologic correlation.
abstract: A prospective analysis of specimens from location and biopsy of mammographically suspect microcalcifications in 108 patients was carried out to determine if microcalcifications were lost during histopathologic processing and the clinical relevance of such loss. Nine hundred sixty-eight paraffin blocks were prepared from 425 gross tissue slices containing calcifications identified at radiography of the specimens. Calcium was apparently lost both during preparation of the blocks (13.6%) and after slide preparation (12.6%), for a total possible loss of 26.2%. All specimens demonstrated calcification histologically. One pathology report was amended because of information obtained after recuts, but all cancers were detected on original slides whether or not calcifications were identified initially. The results indicate that, by following the suggestions offered to ensure adequate histopathologic sampling of calcification seen at mammography, most if not all of the calcification present can be detected on the original slide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester 01655.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: D'Orsi
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Reale
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008867:Microtomy; D011446:Prospective Studies