1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea. 2Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea. 3Department of General Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea.
Published online: January 1, 2001.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of breast ultrasonography(US) in evaluation of local recurrence in postoperative breast cancer patients. MATERIALS & METHODS: Eleven patients, who underwent modified radical mastectomy due to breast cancer, were evaluated with US and mammography. All the patients complained palpable mass at the mastectomy site. Eight lesions were recurrent, and three lesions were postoperative benign lesions on pathologic examination. Mammogram was tried in all patients, however, it was performed at 7 patients because of small amount of remnant soft tissue. We compared detection rate of mammogrm and US. Also we evaluated the role of US in the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions on the basis of sonographic findings and location. RESULTS: All cases were hypoechoic on ultrasonography. The detection rate is 100%(11/11) at US, whereas 14.3%(1/7) at mammogram. Three benign lesions were located in skin or subcutaneous fat layer, which were characterized as microlobular and thick irregular boundary indistinguishable from recurrence. But all five lesion in pectoralis muscle were recurrent breast cancer. CONCLUSION: US is more useful than mammography in detection of mass. US findingsof recurrent nodules are indistinguishable from those of benign and it is impossible to differentiate masses arising skin and subcutaneous fat layer. However, masses in pectoralis muscle strongly suggest tumor recurrence.
Print
facebook
twitter
Linkedin
google+
Download Citation
PDF Links
Full text via DOI 
