Role of Breast Ultrasound and Mammography in Evaluating Patients Presenting with Focal Breast Pain in the Absence of a Palpable Lump

To determine if ultrasound and/or mammography is helpful in detecting breast cancers in patients presenting with focal breast pain. Patients who presented between February 2008 and April 2011 with focal breast pain without a lump were included in the study. The mammographic and US findings were retrospectively reviewed. BIRADS 0, 4, and 5 were considered positive on mammogram while BIRADS 4 and 5 were considered positive on US. The efficacy of mammogram-alone, ultrasound-alone, and in combination to detect breast cancer was evaluated. The performance of mammography for detecting any mass lesions that were present on subsequent US was also evaluated. A total of 257 patients were evaluated with US and 206 (80.1%) of these also had mammograms prior to the US. Cancer incidence was 1.2% (n=3). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of mammogram-alone and US-alone for detection of breast cancer in these patients were 100%, 87.6%, 10.7%, 100% and 100%, 92.5%, 13.6%, and 100%, respectively, while for combined mammogram and US was 100%, 83.7%, 8.3%, and 100%. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of mammogram for identifying an underlying suspicious mass lesion that was subsequently detected by US was 58%, 91%, 39%, and 95%. The NPV of a BIRADS 1 mammogram for any underlying mass lesion was 75%. Addition of an ultrasound to a mammogram did not detect additional cancers; likely due to low cancer incidence in these patients. However, US detected underlying mass lesions in 25% cases with a BIRADS 1 mammogram result.