Radiological Breast Evaluation Following Breast Reduction Surgery

• Published in: Istanbul medical journal Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 294 - 299
• Main Authors: Toplu, Gaye, Altınel, Dinçer, Nazlı, Mehmet Ali, Serin, Merdan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Istanbul Galenos Publishing House 01.11.2021; Galenos Yayinevi
• Subjects: Biopsy; breast; Breast cancer; Breast surgery; Cysts; Health sciences; Magnetic resonance imaging; mammaplasty; Mammography; Medical screening; Necrosis; Patients; Radiation therapy; Tumors; Ultrasonic imaging; United States > US; Turkey
• ISSN: 2619-9793; 1304-8503; 2148-094X
• DOI: 10.4274/imj.galenos.2021.99223

Introduction: We aimed at evaluating the results of radiological [ultrasonography (US), mammography and magnetic resonance (MR)] exams in the follow-up of patients undergoing reduction mammaplasty. Methods: We evaluated the postoperative bilateral breast US and mammography of 21 patients who underwent breast reduction surgery. Breast MR results of 9 patients with suspicious lesions were included in the examination Results: Postoperative radiological findings from all three imaging modalities were parenchymal distortion, rough calcification, fat cyst, focal fibrosis, fat necrosis, nipple retraction, malignant-like peripheral contrast, nodular lesion, malignant-like distortion and fluid collection with skin thickening. One patient eventually underwent a cyst excision and a tru-cut biopsy presented no malignant lesion was found. Conclusion: Few studies demonstrate the radiological findings in the follow-up of patients following a mammaplasty, thereby prompting this study. After surgery, changes can occur in the breast of the patients that radiologically mimic malignancy. This can lead to unnecessary invasive procedures to rule out malignant changes. Thus, our study comes in to avoid these excess and unnecessary procedures.