Bilateral breast carcinoma: mammographic and histologic correlation.

Purpose: To determine the mammographic, histologic, and clinical features of bilateral breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: Pre-biopsy mammograms of 67 patients with bilateral carcinoma were reviewed. Lesions were synchronous in 35 patients and metachronous in 32. Mammographic appearance, lesion size and location, and bilateral similarities were evaluated. Axillary nodal status was noted. These characteristics were compared with those of unilateral cancers.

Results: Of 58 mammographically evident lesion pairs, 31 involved the same quadrant. Of the total 67 lesion pairs, 24 pairs were similar in appearance, and 15 had both mirror image location and a similar appearance. Of 17 lesion pairs considered to represent a single primary carcinoma with metastases to the contralateral breast, eight had a similar mirror image appearance and five had mirror image location and a similar mirror image appearance. The second cancer of metachronous pairs was smaller, with less frequent axillary nodal involvement.

Conclusion: The appearance of bilateral breast cancer does not differ from that of unilateral carcinoma. Bilateral breast carcinomas frequently demonstrate a similar mammographic appearance and mirror image location.