Benign microcalcification and its differential diagnosis in breast screening

Colin A. Purdie, Denis McLean

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    6 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    One of the commonest abnormalities identified by breast screening is microcalcification. Of the 1.64 million women screened in England last year, 30,000 underwent further assessment allied to cytological or histological sampling; approximately 40% of these were for microcalcification. Sixty-three per cent of the women undergoing sampling had benign changes only. Benign breast microcalcification is, therefore, a significant clinical issue. Lesions that result in calcification may mimic in-situ and invasive malignancy both radiologically and pathologically. The common benign and borderline pathologies that cause calcification are discussed and correlated with the radiological patterns, highlighting areas of possible diagnostic difficulty.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)382-394
    Number of pages13
    JournalDiagnostic Histopathology
    Volume15
    Issue number8
    Early online date12 Jul 2009
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Aug 2009

    Keywords

    • benign breast disease
    • breast screening
    • microcalcification

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Pathology and Forensic Medicine
    • Histology

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