Mimickers of Breast Malignancy on Breast Sonography

• Published in: Journal of ultrasound in medicine Vol. 32; no. 11; pp. 2029 - 2036
• Main Authors: Cho, So Hyun, Park, Sung Hee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine 01-11-2013
• Subjects: Adult; breast; Breast Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Diagnosis, Differential; Diagnostic Errors - prevention & control; Female; Humans; Image Enhancement - methods; Middle Aged; mimickers; sonography; Ultrasonography, Mammary - methods; breast; mimickers; sonography
• ISSN: 0278-4297; 1550-9613
• DOI: 10.7863/ultra.32.11.2029

The aim of this article is to review benign breast lesions that can mimic carcinoma on sonography. Cases of benign lesions mimicking carcinoma on sonography were collected among lesions that were initially assessed as suspicious on sonography according to the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System category. Sonographically guided core needle biopsy was performed, and the pathologic types were confirmed to be benign. Cases of benign lesions mimicking carcinoma on sonography were shown to include fat necrosis, diabetic mastopathy, fibrocystic changes, sclerosing adenosis, ruptured inflammatory cysts, inflammatory abscesses, granulomatous mastitis, fibroadenomas, fibroadenomatous mastopathy, and apocrine metaplasia. Benign breast lesions may present with malignant features on imaging. A clear understanding of the range of appearances of benign breast lesions that mimic malignancy is important in radiologic‐pathologic correlation to ensure that benign results are accepted when concordant with imaging and clinical features but, when discordant, there is no delay in further evaluation up to and including excisional biopsy.