OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed at evaluating BI-RADS® 3, 4 and 5 categories as positive predictive value for malignancy of non-palpable breast lesions, correlating mammographic and histopathological findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the period from July/2005 to March/2008, 371 patients with mammograms classified as BI-RADS categories 3, 4 and 5 were referred to a center of reference in cancer treatment in Terezina, PI, Brazil, for histopathological investigation and had their mammograms reviewed. Among these 371 patients, 265 were submitted to core-biopsy and 106 to preoperative needle localization. RESULTS: Mammograms were classified as follows: 11.32% category 3, 76.28% category 4 and 12.4% category 5. The histopathological studies demonstrated 24% of results positive for malignancy. Positive predictive values for categories 3, 4 and 5 were, respectively, 7.14%, 16.96% and 82.61%. Positive predictive values were separately calculated for core-biopsies (7.14%, 15.76%, and 76.47%) and pre-surgical needle localization (7.14%, 20%, 100%). CONCLUSION: Malignant findings were underestimated, and benign findings were overestimated by mammographic reports, thus resulting in some unnecessary invasive procedures.

Keywords: BI-RADS, Mammography, Cancer, Breast