[The experiences of a hospital radiology department with outside referrals for the preoperative marking of suspicious breast lesions].
OBJECTIVE
To outline the experience of a referral radiology department with preoperative localisation procedures on the basic of mammograms obtained by other facilities.


METHODS
342 consecutive female patients aged 56.5 +/- 11.9 years underwent preoperative breast localisation procedures prior to surgery. Of these patients 241 had their mammograms obtained in various private practices and 101 in the radiology department. Retrospectively all mammograms were classified by lesions morphology, lesion size and presence or absence of calcifications.


RESULTS
The overall benign-to-malignant ratio (B/M-ratio) was 1.7:1. In the referred patient group the B/M-ratio was 1.9:1, compared to a B/M-ratio of 1.3:1 obtained by the radiology department. Referred patients presented significantly (p < 0.001) more often with calcifications that patients from the radiology department.


CONCLUSIONS
Possible factors for the higher B/M-ratio in referred patients are prompt referral to surgical biopsy, misinterpretation of mammograms, failure in the written report, lack of a second opinion and lack of feedback and communication between surgeon, pathologist and radiologist.
Helbich
T H
TH
Universitätsklinik für Radiodiagnostik, Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institut für radiologisch-physikalische Tumordiagnostik, AKH Wien.
Mostbeck
G H
GH
Zontsich
T
T
Heinz-Peer
G
G
Cervenka
P
P
Wohlschlager
H
H
Fitzal
P
P
Wolf
G
G
D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria; D001706:Biopsy; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data