Is staging breast magnetic resonance imaging for invasive lobular carcinoma worthwhile?

Background: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is challenging to stage accurately using mammography (MG) and ultrasound (US) with undiagnosed ipsilateral and contralateral cancer resulting in poor patient outcomes including return to surgery. Our institution employs routine staging breast MRI in ILC for this reason. However, increased time for further imaging/biopsies contributes to patient anxiety and potentially delays definite management.

Mammary schistosomiasis: A rare case.

Schistosomiasis is prevalent in some developing countries; however, it does not commonly affect the breast. Mammary schistosomiasis may present as suspicious microcalcification or a mass on mammography. Image-guided biopsy is necessary to exclude malignancy and identify calcified Schistosoma ova on histology.

Added value of second biopsy target in screen-detected widespread suspicious breast calcifications.

Introduction: There is controversy on the optimal work-up of screen-detected widespread breast calcifications: whether to biopsy a single target or multiple targets. This study evaluates agreement between multiple biopsy targets within the same screen-detected widespread (≥25 mm) breast calcification to determine if the second biopsy adds value.

Methods: Retrospective observational study of women screened in a statewide general population risk breast cancer mammographic screening program from 2009 to 2016.

Intravenous iron in clinical concentrations does not impair haemoglobin measurement.

Background: Intravenous iron is commonly administered to anaemic patients to treat iron deficiency, but due to its ferric colouration, it may interfere with the spectrophotometric assessment of haemoglobin concentrations. This paper investigates the potential interference of three clinically used intravenous iron preparations on the measurement of haemoglobin.

Methods: Haemoglobin concentration was measured for neat and Hartmann's solution-diluted iron polymaltose, carboxymaltose and sucrose solutions using bedside (Radiometer HemoCue®), point-of-care (Radiometer ABL800 Flex) and laboratory (Abbott CellDyne Sapphire™) devices.