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Differential Diagnosis of Microcalcifications

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Radiological Diagnosis of Breast Diseases

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Diagn Imaging))

Abstract

Leborgne, in 1951, was the first to point out that microcalcifications occur in 30% of breast carcinomas. He wrote: “With sufficient experience differential diagnosis between calcifications of maligant processes … and … in benign processes is generally easy.” Egan (1964) also asserted: “The typical calcifications are pathognomonic of carcinoma. They are so specific, that in their presence, a histological diagnosis of benign disease usually indicates that either the surgeon has selected the wrong tissue for biopsy, or that the pathologist is in error.” However, analysis of 23 articles on microcalcifications published between 1964 and 1994 shows that cancer was detected in only 27.5% of 5481 cases operated on for microcalcifications (Table 7.1). Similar results can be found in studies carried out by Rosen et al. (1974), Tinnemans et al. (1986), and Abbes et al. (1988), which yielded figures of 24%, 28.3%, and 29%, respectively.

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  1. Martinweg 8, 94072, Bad Füssing, Germany

    M. Lanyi MD

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  1. Abteilung für Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Krankenhaus Am Urban, Dieffenbachstraße 1, 10967, Berlin, Germany

    Michael Friedrich MD (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Department of Radiology, University of California Medical Center, Box 1667, San Francisco, CA, 94143-1667, USA

    Edward A. Sickles MD (Professor) (Professor)

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Lanyi, M. (2000). Differential Diagnosis of Microcalcifications. In: Friedrich, M., Sickles, E.A. (eds) Radiological Diagnosis of Breast Diseases. Medical Radiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60919-0_7

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