Stability of malignant breast microcalcifications.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of stability in malignant microcalcifications and its relationship to specific histologic diagnoses.


METHODS
During a 34-month period, microcalcifications were proved malignant in 182 patients referred for needle-guided biopsy. In 105 patients, the mammograms were compared with one or more than one previous mammogram. These patients were classified on the basis of interval change in two groups: those with stable and those with increasing or new microcalcifications. The histologic diagnoses were reviewed.


RESULTS
Microcalcifications were stable for 8-63 months (mean, 25.4 months) in 26 patients (24.8%), only three (12%) of whom had invasive ductal carcinoma, which was found in 29 (37%) of the 79 patients with increasing or new microcalcifications.


CONCLUSIONS
The odds for presence of invasive ductal carcinoma are statistically significantly lower (P < .025) among patients with stable microcalcifications than among those with increasing or new microcalcifications. Stability of indeterminate or suspicious microcalcifications is unreliable for exclusion of a diagnosis of malignancy.
Lev-Toaff
A S
AS
Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Feig
S A
SA
Saitas
V L
VL
Finkel
G C
GC
Schwartz
G F
GF
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged