Benign Mimics of Malignancy
摘要
Breast cancer is often the first diagnosis that comes to one’s mind when a patient presents with complaints related to the breast. However, a variety of benign entities can mimic breast cancer both clinically and radiologically. These entities can be divided into three main categories: inflammatory, proliferative and neoplastic. The radiologist has an armamentarium of investigations such as mammography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) available for detailed evaluation. It is of great importance that the radiologist be familiar with the various appearances so that an appropriate differential diagnosis can be considered. Biopsy, which may be ultrasound, mammography, or MRI-guided helps in arriving at a final diagnosis. It is imperative for the radiologist to be familiar with the imaging appearances of these mimics of breast cancer so that they can be more accepting to the seemingly discordant benign histopathological findings on radio-pathological correlation and help guide appropriate management. The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate the spectrum of breast pathologies which may resemble the ominous appearance of breast cancer radiologically.