Mammography and ultrasound evaluation of palpable breast lesion with histopathological correlation

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Histological examination enables us to confirm the findings of mammography and sonography of the breast. Although a definitive diagnosis is possible with imaging features, histopathology and cytology are generally performed for obtaining a confirmed diagnosis. Aim of the study was to evaluate the breast lesions according to BI- RADS by using two different radiological procedures (non-invasive method) with correlation of FNAC. Methods: This hospital-based prospective study was conducted in RNTMC Udaipur. All patients were subjected to digital mammography on HOLOGIC M-IV mammography machine in which two imaging projections of each breast, craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views were taken. Results: On mammography, out of 90, 80 had palpable masses and 10 occult. Ultrasound was able to detect 88 cases and was normal in 2. Out of 88 lesions detected on sonomammography, 58 were solid and the rest were cystic or predominantly cystic lesions. Majority masses were located in the upper outer quadrant of bilateral breasts (41 masses), followed by the retro-areolar region (15 masses) and the upper inner and lower outer quadrant (10 masses) each. In upper outer quadrant 22(53.6%) out of 41 of the masses were benign while the remaining were malignant 19 (46%). Conclusions: We conclude that with the combination of two noninvasive procedures, mammography and ultrasound; we can almost achieve the accuracy of the FNAC (invasive procedure) in detecting breast malignancy.