Stereotactic breast biopsy: en bloc excision of microcalcifications with a large-bore cannula device.

Objective: Breast calcifications pose a significant diagnostic and procedural dilemma. We evaluated en bloc stereotactic excision of indeterminate and suggestive microcalcifications for histologic diagnosis using a large-bore cannula biopsy device.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 61 groups of microcalcifications removed with a large-bore cannula biopsy device from 59 patients (age range, 35-72 years old).

Stereotactic excisional breast biopsy performed by interventional radiologists using the advanced breast biopsy instrumentation system.

The Advanced Breast Biopsy Instrumentation (ABBI) system, which uses surgical cannulas up to 20 mm in diameter, is an alternative to conventional surgical biopsy for the diagnosis of non-palpable breast lesions. Since the need for radiological skill outweighs the surgical content of the technique, we evaluated the feasibility of complete management of the procedure by interventional radiologists. 35 of the 111 patients originally scheduled for the procedure were excluded, three because the lesion could not be visualized and 32 because of insufficient thickness of the compressed breast.

[Diagnosis of non-palpable lesions of the breast with stereotactic excisional biopsy with cannula. Advanced Breast Biopsy Instrumentation (ABBI) with fine diameter of 20 mm].

Purpose: To evaluate the advisability of use by interventional radiologists of the ABBI system for stereotactic biopsy in the diagnosis of mammographically detected nonpalpable breast lesions considered suspicious for cancer.

Material And Methods: Breast biopsy with the ABBI cannula, available in various diameters, was offered to 61 patients who gave their informed consent and was performed in 36. Reasons for exclusion were insufficient thickness of the compressed breast (37.

[Microcalcifications in non-palpable breast carcinoma. Analysis of 427 cases].

Of 836 nonpalpable breast lesions histologically assessed between 1985 and 1991 at the Milan Cancer Institute, 427 were malignant (51%). Microcalcifications were present in 283 tumors (66%), alone in 200 cases or associated with a mass (72 cases) or within a focal distortion (11 cases). Several mammographic, clinical and histological features were analyzed, comparing the 283 lesions with microcalcifications with the 144 tumors represented only by nodular opacities or distortions.

[Microcalcifications in the diagnosis and follow-up after the primary chemotherapy of breast neoplasms].

Since 1998, at the National Cancer Institute (Milan, Italy), a study has been carried on relative to primary chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancers (greater than 3 cm diameter). Aim of the study is to obtain tumor reduction and thus allow a conservative treatment to be performed. The measures of the two greatest diameters of the tumor by means of mammography, at diagnosis and after chemotherapy, are important parameters for treatment planning.

[Nonpalpable breast lesions. General considerations and a review of the literature in the light of the authors' own experience with 344 cases located preoperatively].

The widespread use of mammography in breast cancer screening has increased the number of non-palpable breast lesions being detected in which the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant cases requires surgical biopsy. In order to remove these mammographically identified lesions the surgeon must be guided, which is why the techniques guiding the surgeon during lesions ablation have become most important. Accurate preoperative lesion localization must be done so that the excision can be complete and with the best cosmetic result.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of palpable breast masses: analysis of 134 cases.

Sonography has become a helpful adjunct to mammography mainly for a differential diagnosis between simple cysts and solid masses. The authors examined by ultrasound 134 palpable masses in the breast which had been previously evaluated by clinical examination and mammography and then submitted to biopsy or fine needle aspiration. The exact diagnosis of a simple cyst was made in 94.

Diagnostic efficacy of physical examination, mammography, fine needle aspiration cytology (triple-test) in solid breast lumps: an analysis of 1708 consecutive cases.

The clinical-radiologic-cytologic triplet was used for diagnostic evaluation in 1708 women over 30 years old with a breast lump. All the lumps were subjected to surgery except for 258 cases in which clinical resolution took place within 1-2 months. Seven-hundred and ninety-three out of 1450 nodules removed were cancers.

Localized mastalgia as presenting symptom in breast cancer.

The importance of breast pain as a presenting symptom of breast cancer was assessed in 200 women with localized mastalgia but negative physical examination and in 478 women with operable breast cancer. In the first group, mammography detected five cases of subclinical breast cancer at the site of pain. In the second group, 86 patients (18%) reported localized pain as presenting symptom, followed, at different intervals, by the detection of a breast lump.

[Radiodiagnosis of thymomas].

On the ground of the clinical experience gained on thymomas observed during the last decade and controlled by histopathology at the National Cancer Institute of Milan, the authors report and describe the typical morphology of the above neoplasms, which were studied with both the conventional and the most advanced imaging procedures. First of all, the authors point out the common problems of differential diagnosis with other lesions in the anterior mediastinum, with a special emphasis on lymphomas. Attention is also drawn to both the diagnostic and therapeutic value of conventional radiotomographic procedures combined with CT and MRI: in particular, the former can provide an extremely valuable diagnostic support to fine needle biopsy.

Diagnostic efficacy of the clinical-radiological-cytological triad in solid breast lumps: results of a second prospective study on 631 patients.

The clinical-radiological-cytological triad was used for diagnostic evaluation in 631 women over 30 years old with a solid breast lump, excluding clinically obvious cancers. All the lumps were subsequently removed surgically, except for 105 cases which spontaneously regressed within 2 months. 285 of the 526 nodules removed were cancers, and 162 of 285 (57%) did not exceed 20 mm in size.

Systematic use of the clinical-mammographic-cytologic triplet for the early diagnosis of mammary carcinoma.

Of about 8500 women with a minimum age of 30 years who had a breast examination at our Outpatient Clinic from April 1982 to March 1983, we found in 286 cases a clinically evident carcinoma, and in 534 cases an apparently benign or suspect solid lump. All 534 of these cases were subjected to the triplet clinical, mammographic and cytologic diagnostic investigation by needle aspiration within 1 to 4 days. The clinical judgment was based on a method of scoring of the characters of 9 physical features (Clinical Diagnostic Index) in use at our Institute.

Primary melanoma of the anorectal region. Report of two cases.

Two cases of primary melanoma of the anorectal region are presented. The radiological patterns affords no basis for differentiation from hemorrhoids and polyps. Only close teamwork between radiologist and pathologist permits correct and timely treatment.

[Role of teletermography in the diagnosis of primary tumors of soft tissues and bones].

The thermographic behaviour of bone and soft tissue tumors (168 malignant), submitted to this examination from 1971 to 1981, has been retrospectively analyzed and statistically evaluated. In the group of malignant neoplasms, thermography reached a good sensitivity (81.5%), a little better (but not significantly) in soft tissue tumors.

[Radiologic aspects of non-Hodgkin lymphomas of the kidney].

The authors review a series of 992 patients presenting with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and treated by the Milan Cancer Institute between 1968 and 1977. Intravenous urography was performed in 237 cases but only revealed 9 patients (3.8%) with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Critical evaluation of the use of thermography in the investigation of scintigraphically cold thyroid nodules.

One hundred and fifty-five cases of scintigraphically "cold" thyroid nodules were examined telethermographically to determine their thermal gradient. All nodules hyperthermic greater than or equal to 1.5 degrees C were successively removed, as were those (regardless of the thermal gradient) present in men, those in women younger than 21 years and older than 45 years of age, and those clinically suspect, the latter regardless of age or sex of the patient.

[Teleradiography and tomography in the search for pulmonary metastases in 132 cases of soft tissue and bone neoplasms].

In recent years whole lung tomography (WLT) has been considered mandatory in the staging of some neoplastic diseases, particularly of soft tissues and bone tumors. Since WLT is an exacting roentgen examination, its usefulness was evaluated by analysing 132 consecutive patients submitted to orthogonal chest roentgenograms and WLT, from January 1979 to October 1981 at the National Cancer Institute of Milan. A comparison between WLT and traditional chest X-ray examination was performed in order to evaluate how much tomography is significantly useful in improving diagnosis of lung metastases.