J Korean Soc Med Ultrasound.  1998 Sep;17(3):249-253.

Usefulness of Ultrasonography in Locally Recurrent Breast Carcinoma after Mastectomy

• Cheon YJ
• Kim EK
• Ryu JA
• Son EJ
• Chung SY
• Lim JS
• Oh KK
• Chung HC
• Lee KS

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of breast ultrasonography(US) in evaluation of local recurrence in postoperative breast cancer patients. MATERIALS & METHODS: Eleven patients, who underwent modified radical mastectomy due to breast cancer, were evaluated with US and mammography. All the patients complained palpable mass at the mastectomy site. Eight lesions were recurrent, and three lesions were postoperative benign lesions on pathologic examination. Mammogram was tried in all patients, however, it was performed at 7 patients because of small amount of remnant soft tissue. We compared detection rate of mammogrm and US. Also we evaluated the role of US in the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions on the basis of sonographic findings and location.
RESULTS
All cases were hypoechoic on ultrasonography. The detection rate is 100%(11/11) at US, whereas 14.3%(1/7) at mammogram. Three benign lesions were located in skin or subcutaneous fat layer, which were characterized as microlobular and thick irregular boundary indistinguishable from recurrence. But all five lesion in pectoralis muscle were recurrent breast cancer.
CONCLUSION
US is more useful than mammography in detection of mass. US findingsof recurrent nodules are indistinguishable from those of benign and it is impossible to differentiate masses arising skin and subcutaneous fat layer. However, masses in pectoralis muscle strongly suggest tumor recurrence.

MeSH Terms

Breast Neoplasms*
Breast*
Humans
Mammography
Mastectomy*
Mastectomy, Modified Radical
Pectoralis Muscles
Recurrence
Skin
Subcutaneous Fat
Ultrasonography*