Sonomammography in benign breast disease.

An assessment is made of direct-contact B-scan sonomammography in 480 patients with clinically benign breast disease, of whom 121 underwent biopsy. In eight patients, ultrasound was normal when histology showed diffuse benign disease, and in four patients, ultrasound gave a benign result when histology showed malignancy. In 25 patients, attenuating shadow led to biopsy for a false positive diagnosis of carcinoma. Ultrasound can be used to avert unnecessary biopsy either by excluding a focal mass or by revealing clinically unsuspected malignancy when X-ray mammography shows moderate or marked density in patients complaining of a breast lump or nodularity.