The value of ultrasounds exam correlated with frozen section diagnosis in the breast tumors

Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2010;51(4):745-50.

Abstract

The paper represents a parallel study regarding the harmony between the ultrasounds and the frozen section diagnosis in the breast cancer.

Patients and methods: We examined at an ultrasounds machine a group of 146 women aged between 16-73-year-old, which came presenting palpable formations at the level of breasts, in the Pelican Medical Centre from Oradea. The suspect lesions were subject to excisional biopsy or surgical intervention.

Results: The elements followed at the ultrasounds exam were: echogenicity, echostructure, contour, presence and absence of posterior shadowing, microcalcifiation, orientation of lesion, compressibility, aspect of adjacent structures. Histopathological diagnosis of suspect lesions emphasized malignant lesions in a percentage of 64.86% of cases; the frozen section exam diagnosed invasive ductal carcinoma in 86% of the cases, invasive lobular carcinoma 8%, medullar carcinoma 2%, and benign lesions 4%.

Conclusions: The clinical-anatomopathological collaboration is absolutely compulsory for a correct microscopic diagnosis. The ultrasounds modifications separated after the criteria taken into account allow the orientation of diagnosis to malignant-benign. At 14% of the women examined, additional lesions were identified in comparison to those palpated, the ultrasounds having a role in detecting the multifocality and muticentricity of lesions. At 29.05% from the identified lesions, malignant lesions were histopathologically identified. The frozen section diagnosis in the breast cancer allows a rapid diagnosis, correct in high percentage of cases, allowing taking an intra-surgery therapeutic attitude in only one surgical intervention, thus reducing the costs. The anatomopathologist's experience reduces the diagnosis risk in excess and÷or in minus.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Carcinoma in Situ / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma in Situ / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma in Situ / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Lobular / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Lobular / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Lobular / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / pathology
  • Female
  • Fibroadenoma / diagnosis
  • Fibroadenoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Fibroadenoma / pathology
  • Frozen Sections*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Ultrasonography, Mammary*
  • Young Adult