Abstract
Among 181 patients with breast cancer operated on at the department in a recent 4 years, 20 patients had nonpalpable cancers. They were analyzed to know a clue to the detection of nonpalpable cancer in outpatients.
The chances of the detection were nipple discharges (45%), mastopathy-like findings (30%) and postmastectomied conditions in periodic check (15%). The, it is necessary to examine these patients thoroughly by mammography and sonography. But, the charasteristic findings of cancer in both emaging diagnoses were less common in nonpalpable cases than in palpable ones. Atypical microcalcifications in mammography and disarrangements of tumor-findings in sonography were important and were observed in 42.1% and 33.3% of cases, respectively.
When no findings in both imaging diagnoses and negative cytology of bloody discharge were obtained, it is imperative to perform a galactography or biopsy guided by a dye galactography, especially in the cases showing strong positive occult-blood test.
Dividing these cancers into infiltrating and noninfiltrating cancinoma, both emages in the latter were more atypical and disarraged. Then, it is recommended to judge synthetically by combination of physical signs and each examinations.
