Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 19, Issue 4 257-262, Copyright © 2000 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Metastatic tumors to the breast: mammographic and ultrasonographic findings
S. H. Lee, J. M. Park, S. H. Kook, B. K. Han and W. K. Moon
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
We evaluated the mammographic (n = 16) and ultrasonographic (n = 15)
findings of 18 patients with metastatic breast carcinoma. Fifteen patients
showed multiple or diffuse lesions and three patients showed single
lesions. Ten patients (55.6%) had bilateral lesions. Mammography revealed
high density (15 cases, 93.8%), round to oval (11 cases, 68.8%) lesions
with poorly defined or obscured margins (12 cases, 75.0%). No associated
calcification was found in any lesion. Ultrasonographically, poorly defined
(8 cases, 53.3%), irregularly shaped (8 cases, 53.3%), hypoechoic (14
cases, 93.3%), heterogeneous (8 cases, 53.3%) lesions were predominantly
distributed superficially (11 cases, 73.3%). Axillary lymphadenopathy was
detected in six patients (33.3%). The longest diameter of most of the
lesions was less than 2.0 cm (13 cases, 81.3%). We conclude that metastatic
tumors to the breast appear as relatively small, superficially located,
poorly defined, irregular nodules without calcification on mammography and
ultrasonography. However, when the metastatic lesion is diffuse, the
appearance is indistinguishable from that of inflammatory breast carcinoma.
