UTILITY OF AXILLARY VIEWS IN POSTMASTECTOMY PATIENTS

This study was performed to determine the utility of routine axillary radiography in postmastectomy patients. The records of 185 postmastect omy patients who had undergone axillary radiography were retrospective ly reviewed. Of 499 views obtained, only 10 (2%) were reported as abno rmal. Only one of the 10 patients with abnormal studies had a demonstr ated recurrence that corresponded to the mammographic finding. This pa tient also had positive physical examination results at that time. Eig ht of the 185 patients developed local recurrences, four of which were in the axilla of the affected side. These four cases were all detecte d at physical examination; two patients underwent relatively concurren t axillary radiography. One of these two patients with abnormal physic al examination results had a positive axillary view obtained in the sa me month. The other of these two patients with abnormal physical exami nation results had a negative axillary view obtained 3 months earlier. The authors conclude that routine axillary radiography is not useful in postmastectomy patients.