Primary angiosarcoma of the breast is a rare and aggressive malignancy, which arises from endothelial cells lining blood vessels. It represents less than 0.05% of all breast cancers, and more commonly affects relatively younger individuals. Reaching the correct diagnosis may be delayed, because imaging is not typical of other breast malignancies and can mimic benign processes. Clinical presentation is variable, ranging from diffuse breast oedema to a palpable discrete mass. An early adolescent female presented to her general practitioner with a palpable breast lump on self-examination. The diagnosis of primary breast angiosarcoma was confirmed on biopsy. She underwent a complete surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. She remains in remission after 3 years and is undergoing regular surveillance. Due to the rarity of this condition, there is no established clinical management protocol for this condition currently. Early detection, aggressive treatment and ongoing surveillance provide the best chance of prolonged disease-free survival.
SummaryNon‐calcified ductal carcinoma in situ (NCDCIS) presents as a heterogeneous entity on various imaging modalities, most frequently presenting symptomatically as a palpable lump. The combination of multiple modalities and knowledge of its potential radiological appearances are important in minimising misdiagnosis. Compared to conventional 2D mammography, both sonography and digital breast tomosynthesis show higher diagnostic accuracy in the detection of NCDCIS. Newer modalities of contrast‐enhanced digital mammography and MRI have limited data at present, but early results indicate greater sensitivity for the detection of lesions that may be occult on ultrasound or mammography. Here, we present an illustrative study highlighting the varied appearances of NCDCIS on several imaging modalities including a brief review of the literature.
Although neat preparations of intravenous iron do interfere with spectrophotometric analysis of haemoglobin, concentrations likely to be seen post iron infusion do not significantly interfere with haemoglobin measurement.
While a single target biopsy is sufficient to discriminate a benign vs. malignant diagnosis in most cases, in 14% there is added value in performing a second target biopsy. Biopsies performed prospectively are more likely to yield concordant results compared to post-hoc second target biopsy cases, suggesting a single prospective biopsy may be sufficient when results are radiological-pathological concordant; discordance still requires repeat sampling.
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