title: Adjunctive diagnostic value of ultrasonography evaluation in patients with suspected ductal breast disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adjunctive diagnostic value of breast ultrasonography (US) in the study of benign ductal breast disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two patients underwent US examinations for bloody nipple discharge, palpable retroareolar masses, retroareolar opacities or ductal pattern on mammography. US enabled visualisation of mammary-duct ectasia (simple or pseudocystic, retroareolar and/or peripheral) and focal masses (endoluminal or periductal, with ill-defined or regular margins). All patients with nipple discharge underwent cytological evaluation. After the US examination, all focal masses with ill-defined margins underwent fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), if necessary. The benign alterations were followed up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 38/52 cases, US diagnosed mammary-duct ectasia and in 30/52 cases, the presence of focal masses (mean size 7 mm). In the nine women who underwent biopsy, histopathological evaluation diagnosed five solitary papillomas, one solitary papilloma with a focal area of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), two multiple papillomas of the nipple and one papillomatosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-frequency US plays an important role in the detection of benign ductal disease both for the diagnosis and classification of focal masses and mammary-duct ectasia. US can be used as a complementary imaging method to galactography or as a valuable alternative when galactography is not available.
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico 155, I-00161 Rome, Italy.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Ballesio
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Maggi
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Savelli
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Angeletti
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Rabuffi
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Manganaro
authors: L M
authors: LM
authors: Porfiri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D009558:Nipples / Q000378:metabolism; D010212:Papilloma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary