Suspicious calcifications in benign breast lesions: a radio-pathologic correlation

Background Breast cancer screening by mammography (MMG) has recently increased in Japan. Suspicious lesions are therefore being detected more and more by MMG and the number of benign biopsies is increasing. It is thus important to examine which pathologically benign lesions were read as suspicious on MMG to reduce the number of biopsies in the case of benign breast lesions. Methods Of 299 category 3 or 4 lesions on MMG, 39 histologically benign lesions with calcification were reviewed and compared with the mammograms by a pathologist and a radiologist. The Japan Mammography Guidelines were used for MMG interpretation. Results In mastopathy lesions, small round segmental calcifications and pleomorphic clustered calcifications were assessed as suspicious. The suspicious type of calcification in fibroadenoma was small round clustered. The calcifications in fibroadenoma may be seen as small round when the fibroadenoma is rather young, and assessed as suspicious. Conclusions Some types of calcifications in mastopathy and fibroadenoma were assessed as borderline by MMG. We should therefore collect data from more benign cases with suspicious calcifications on MMG and elucidate the diagnostic criteria in MMG findings of such calcifications.