CORRELATION BETWEEN ANGIOGRAPHIC FEATURES AND PATHOLOGICAL-CHANGES INBREAST-CARCINOMA

The correlation between angiographic tumor blushing and underlying pat hologic factors was studied. Twenty female patients with breast cancer were divided into three groups according to the degree of tumor blush ing. primary tumors were divided into three areas: marginal, central a nd intermediate areas. In each area, the number of blood vessels per 1 0(4) mu(2) was randomly counted in 10 fields and a mean value of vesse ls was compared among the three groups. It was found that the followin g pathologic findings were significantly related to strong angiographi c staining: (i) well-circumscribed border; (ii) large tumor nest; (iii ) severe inflammatory cell infiltration; (iv) mild stromal fibrosis; a nd (v) absence of lymph node metastasis, The mean value of blood vesse ls in the strongly positive group was significantly increased in the o verall and the intermediate areas. The density of the vessels in the i ntermediate area was thus thought to be responsible for the tumor blus hing.