MAMMOGRAPHY IN WOMEN UNDERGOING HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY - POSSIBLE EFFECTS REVEALED AT ROUTINE EXAMINATION

Purpose: A retrospective study of screen-film mammographs was perfomed in 960 postmenopausal women to evaluate the possible effects of hormo nal replacement therapy on the breast parenchymal pattern. Material an d Methods: Screen-film mammographs of 754 women (mean age 51.4 years) who had undergone hormonal replacement therapy (estrogen, gestagen; me an duration 2.4 years) were compared with findings in 206 women who ha d not received hormonal replacement therapy (mean age 52.3 years). Mas topathic changes were analyzed according to a 4-grade scale and the in cidence of circumscribed lesions (such as fibroadenomas, cysts and mal ignancies) was further evaluated. Results: In the treated women we fou nd moderate mastopathic changes in 47.2%, intermediate changes in 2.4% , and extensive proliferations in 0.7%. For the untreated women the co rresponding figures were 33.5%, 4.8%, and 1.4%. In the treated patient s fibroadenomas were apparent in 3.9%, cystic lesions in 3.3%, and mal ignant lesions in 1.4%. In the untreated women fibroadenomas were evid ent in 11.6%, cystic lesions in 7.2%, and malignant lesions in 2.4%. C onclusion: Mastopathic changes might increase under hormonal replaceme nt therapy. However, the higher incidence of circumscribed lesions in the untreated women might be due to the higher number of symptomatic w omen who sought examination. We also speculate as to whether the incre ased density of the breast parenchyma in the treated women might cause a higher number of mammographically undedectable lesions.