The Tattoo Sign

Chest

“…Various characteristics, such as number, size, shape, and location, are used to judge whether the calcifications appear benign or malignant and whether further evaluation is warranted. Dermal calcifications are benign and require no further evaluation [168]. The pathognomonic mammographic feature of skin calcifications is conspicuous, round, solid, or lucent-centered calcifications, which frequently are grouped.…”

“…In addition to the tattoo sign, another similar unnamed mammographic sign also indicates the presence of dermal calcifications, and it should be applied in all cases of peripheral calcifications. When mammograms are compared with prior mammograms obtained with the same projection and the tattoo sign or the aforedescribed unnamed sign is present, the suspected location of the microcalcifications should be the dermal layer [168]. Tattoo signs may even appear bilaterally and are most likely caused by a degenerative metaplastic process, including trauma or even sunburn.…”

Unusual Dermal Pleomorphic Calcifications in a Case of Inflammatory Breast Carcinoma

“…It is rare to have dermal calcifi cations that are associated with malignancy. When calcifi cations are located in the dermal layer, they are typically thought to be benign, and if confi rmed to be dermal in location on tangential mammogram views, no additional workup is needed (5). Th e American College of Radiology BI-RADS lexicon describes mammographic fi ndings using a standard nomenclature, and benign calcifi cations include those that are located in the skin (6).…”

Tattoos and Human Identification: Investigation into the Use of X‐Ray and Infrared Radiation in the Visualization of Tattoos

“…Wendy Birch 2012). In living cases, the presence of ink pigment in the axillary lymph nodes has been shown clinically to cause diagnostic complications, particularly in the interpretation of mammograms (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28). The forensic implication of this is that identification of ink pigments in the lymph nodes could be indicative of the presence of a tattoo; this is particularly useful in cases where a tattoo has been removed during life, or in cases where the skin surface has badly decomposed or been severely damaged after death, as well as in cases where remains have been dismembered, or even in cases where a tattoo has been deliberately disfigured or removed to inhibit the identification of human remains.…”