The significance of spontaneous resolution of breast calcification

Spontaneously resolving breast microcalcification is a rarely reported occu rrence. A retrospective review was carried out on 33 cases of resolving ben ign and indeterminate microcalcification identified from 108 000 screening mammograms from the South West London Breast Screening Service. Four furthe r cases are reported from The Jarvis Breast Screening Centre. No interval c ancers were identified in women with microcalcification which initially sho wed benign appearances. However, 36.4% of the group with resolving indeterm inate microcalcification subsequently developed cancers. It is recommended that this change should prompt full investigation and close follow-up or ex cision. While the majority of spontaneously resolving microcalcification is associated with benign processes, it is concluded that a significant propo rtion of disappearing indeterminate microcalcification is associated with m alignancy.