Abstract
Breast calcifications are seen frequently in day-to-day practice on mammogram. Their frequency increases with age of the patient. Calcifications can be seen within a lesion or present as an isolated finding with no clinically palpable lump. Calcium deposition occurs within ducts, acini, stroma, or vessels in the form of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate. Calcium oxalate is mostly seen in benign conditions and calcium phosphate is more commonly associated with malignant etiology. Calcium phosphate is more easily recognized on histopathology than calcium oxalate. X-ray mammogram remains the gold standard in detecting calcification till date. Ultrasound detects larger calcifications; however, it does not help in characterization of morphology. BI-RADS fifth edition classifies calcification according to morphology and distribution. These two categories are subdivided into benign and malignant according to the descriptors.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Hernández PL, Estrada TT, Pizarro AL, Cisternas ML. Breast calcifications: description and classification according to BI-RADS 5th edition. Rev Chil Radiol. 2016;22(2):80–91.
Wilkinson L, Thomas V, Sharma N. Microcalcification on mammography: approaches to interpretation and biopsy. Br J Radiol. 2017;90(1069):20160594.
Nalawade YV. Evaluation of breast calcifications. Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2009;19(4):282–6.
Demetri-Lewis A, Slanetz PJ, Eisenberg RL. Breast calcifications: the focal group. Am J Roentgenol. 2012;198(4):W325–43.
Rao AA, Feneis J, Lalonde C, Ojeda-Fournier H. A pictorial review of changes in the BI-RADS fifth edition. Radiographics. 2016;36(3):623–39.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gnanavel, H., Dev, B., Joseph, L.D., Chandrasekharan, A., Palanisamy, P.K. (2023). Approach to Calcifications. In: Dev, B., Joseph, L.D. (eds) Holistic Approach to Breast Disease. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0035-0_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0035-0_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-99-0034-3
Online ISBN: 978-981-99-0035-0
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)