Radiography of breast specimens

In a group of breast biopsies performed at Memorial Hospital, over a period of 44 months, we radiographed 6,024 specimens, 72% of which were reported benign on routine histologic examination. Calcifications considered significant were detected in 22% of the benign lesions. Of these, about 48% were reexamined histologically to identify the calcifications not seen on routine sections. Twenty-seven unsuspected carcinomas were found. Other calcifications were in lobules and ducts, sclerosing adenosis, papillomatosis and duct hyperplasia, duct stasis or periductal mastitis, cysts, fibroadenomas, fat necrosis, atypical lobular hyperplasia, etc. Breast specimen radiography is indicated not only when biopsy is done because of suspicious clinical mammograms, but also under the following circumstances: the biopsy specimen is large, there is carcinoma in the opposite breast, there is atypical change below the level of carcinoma, or non-infiltrating carcinoma is found.