Yield of mammography in selected patients age < or = 30 years.
BACKGROUND
An outcomes analysis study was performed to quantify the benefit of directed diagnostic imaging of selected very young women (defined as < or = 30 years of age) in our population. Summary results are presented.


METHODS
Women's Imaging Services were queried for studies performed between April 1, 1997 and December 31, 1998 on women < or = 30 years of age. The authors' referral pathway mandates breast examination by a general surgeon or by the head of Women's Imaging before mammography in all such patients. Studies were excluded if there were reviews of scans performed at other sites. The resulting 142 mammograms were evaluated.


RESULTS
Ninety percent of the 142 studies were within normal limits. Only 11 mammograms indicated any required action (7.8%), and only 5 of these merited biopsy. All biopsies revealed benign disease. No carcinomas were detected by biopsy or on clinical follow-up in this cohort of women. These values are congruent with the scarce literature on mammography in this population.


CONCLUSIONS
The yield of mammography in the age < or = 30 years population is low.
Radiation Oncology Division, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California 92134-5000, USA. pajohnstone@nmcsd.med.navy.mil
P A
PA
Johnstone
E M
EM
Moore
R
R
Carrillo
C J
CJ
Goepfert
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010808:Physical Examination; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity