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Ultrasound Characteristics and Clinical Profile of Patients with Benign and Malignant Intraductal Breast Mass in the Breast Center of St. Luke’s Medical Center – Global City

Pauline Rizelle L. Toledo,. MD, Adviser: Barbara Helen E. Perez,. MD

Background

Intraductal breast masses are often seen on ultrasound, either during screening or diagnostic examinations. Proper assessment and management of these lesions rely both on ultrasound findings and clinical profile of these patients. In our institution, radiologists and surgeons opt to biopsy these lesions.

Objective

To correlate the clinical profile of, and ultrasound findings, in patients with intraductal breast mass by ultrasound with histopathologic findings.

Patients and Methods

All data of women who underwent ultrasound-guided core needle breast biopsy of intraductal breast mass in the Breast Center of St. Luke’s Medical Center – Global City from January 2011 to December 2015 were recorded by the primary investigator from review of patients’ databases and official records.

Results

Four (10%) of the 39 intraductal breast masses were malignant. There is a strong correlation (p value = 0.037) between the presence of symptoms and malignancy. In this study, a palpable mass is the most commonly presenting symptom. However, there is no significant difference in the patient’s age, history of breast cancer and ultrasound findings (including size, duct filling by the mass, distance from the nipple and abnormal lymph node in the axilla) between benign and malignant intraductal breast masses.

In this study, ultrasound showed a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 23%, positive predictive value of 13%, negative predictive value of 100% and an overall accuracy of 31%.

Conclusion

The overall malignancy rate of intraductal breast masses detected by ultrasound is 10%. This validates the need to do tissue correlation for these lesions especially in the presence of symptoms (palpable mass), which is a probable predictor of malignancy. Ultrasound, with an overall accuracy of 31% in detecting malignant intraductal breast mass, may be combined with other imaging modalities for this purpose.