Breast hematoma mimicking carcinoma and breast carcinoma presenting as a hematoma

Some benign breast lesions, such as hematoma, may present mammographically as a speculated or ill-defined mass mimicking a carcinoma. Equally, an unknown malignant lesion can bleed and appear clinically as a breast hematoma. We report the cases of two patients: the first patient had a mammographic lesion suggestive of carcinoma that was later revealed to be a breast hematoma. The second patient, who was receiving anticoagulant therapy, had a breast hematoma that required surgical drainage. Surgery revealed an apparently malignant underlying lesion. The malignancy was confirmed by histological analysis. (C) 2012 Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.