OBJECTIVE: To evaluate radiological findings in patients submitted to surgical treatment for medullary breast cancer at Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, correlating them with histological results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was developed with patients submitted to surgery at INCA, in the period from January 1997 to December 2006, for identifying the presence of medullary breast carcinoma and analyzing radiological findings. RESULTS: Among 21,287 patients diagnosed with carcinoma, 76 (0.357%) had typical medullary breast carcinoma. The age range of these patients was 32-81 years (mean = 59.1 years). Mammography demonstrated lesions in 19 of these patients, 17 (89.5%) of them with masses, and 2 with focal asymmetry. Among the patients with masses, 15 (88.1%) presented with high density and 2 (11.9%) with isodensity. Twelve patients presented sonographic findings, 11 (91.6%) of them with hypoechoic masses, and one with an anechoic mass with areas of cystic degeneration. CONCLUSION: Nodular mass was the predominant radiological finding (89.5%), 88.1% of them corresponding to masses with high density and circumscribed margins. Despite the radiological characteristics of benignity, a solid, fast-growing, highly dense mass with circumscribed margins should be further investigated to confirm the diagnosis.

Keywords: Medullary breast cancer, Radiological findings, Diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: To review the different types of radial scar/complex sclerosing lesion (RS/CSL) seen on clinical, mammography, and ultrasound examinations. The histopathology findings and the association of RS/CSL with atypical hyperplasia and malignancy are discussed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of patients from the files of the "Centro de Diagnóstico por Imagem and Hospital Santa Rita" - Vitória, ES, Brazil, of the period between October, 1993 and December, 2001. A total of 926 non-palpable lesions of 901 patients submitted to excision biopsy after pre-surgical localization were studied. Fifty-seven patients had pathology proven RS/CSL diagnosis. RESULTS: The age of the patients ranged from 31 to 84 years (average 49 years). There were palpable lesions in 10 patients (17.9%). The mammographic signs that suggested the need of biopsy were divided into three groups: architectural distortion (48 patients; 85.7%), stellate nodules (4 patients; 7.1%), and asymmetric densities (4 patients; 7.1%). Microcalcifications were detected by mammography alone in 14 patients (25%) and in the surgical specimen in 20 (35.7%) patients. Among 51 patients submitted to ultrasound, 17 had irregular hypoechoic areas with posterior acoustic shadowing. Of the 57 patients with RS/CSL, 42 had ductal hyperplasia, 9 had atypical ductal proliferation and 6 had infiltrative carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Differential diagnosis of RS/CSL from carcinomas can not be made using imaging methods and excision biopsy is mandatory.

Keywords: Radial scar, Breast cancer, Breast fibrocystic disease, Mammography, Breast ultrasound

The authors describe the case of a young female patient with primary amenorrhea and normal secondary sexual characteristics. The diagnostic investigation demonstrated the occurrence of Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser’s syndrome.

Keywords: Paramesonephric (Müllerian) ducts; Abnormalities.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the adherence of a hospital female personnel to a program for breast cancer prevention by means of mammography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was developed with 91 female workers evaluated by means of a questionnaire and follow-up of the periodicity of mammographic studies in the period from 2000 to 2009. RESULTS: A total of 247 mammography studies were performed. Compliance with the periodicity schedule was informed by 48 of the participants, 12.6% of them by medical request, 47.9% because they were aware of the relevance of such study, 4.1% because of previous family history of cancer, and 35.4% as a clinical routine. Forty-three participants did not comply with the periodicity schedule, 37.3% of them because they had not a medical request, 20.9% because they could not have it done through the Sistema Único de Saúde (Brazilian Unified Health System), 18.6% for fear, and 23.2% due to unawareness about the relevance of such an examination. CONCLUSION: The participation in the program was low. The adherence to the program was poor in the hospital because of the unawareness about breast cancer prevention.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Secondary prevention; Health care; Hospital environment.