Criteria of clinical and radiological diagnosis in nonpuerperal acute phlogistic-like processes of the breast: considerations on 97 consecutive cases.

The authors report a series of 97 cases of phlogistic-like process of the breast. Clinical and radiological signs and criteria of differential diagnosis between benign phlogosis and cancer are investigated. The location in the areolar/periareolar region, the presence of fever, and the radiological evidence of limited skin thickening were the features more significantly correlated with benign phlogosis, while cancer should be suspected in the case of lesions located in the upper-outer quadrant and in presence of a diffuse skin thickening at radiological examination. These diagnostic criteria seem particularly useful since the typical clinical or radiological signs of cancer are present only in 50% of cancer cases. The cytological examination of nipple discharge or needle aspiration fluid is of particular help: no false positive or negative cases were observed in a series of 42 examined patients.