IN-VIVO DEMONSTRATION OF MICROCALCIFICATION IN BREAST-CANCER USING HIGH-RESOLUTION ULTRASOUND

84 patients with 89 primary breast cancers underwent high resolution u ltrasound, mammography and histological evaluation. Pathological speci mens and hard copy images of both imaging modalities were reviewed in order to document the amount of microcalcification present in each tum our. A total of 44, 40 and 46 tumours had Visible microcalcification u sing high resolution ultrasound, mammography and histology, respective ly. Using mammography as the gold standard, ultrasound achieved a sens itivity of 95%, specificity of 87.8% and accuracy of 91% in the detect ion of microcalcification. Histology had a sensitivity of 80%, specifi city of 71.4% and accuracy of 75.3%. We conclude that ultrasound is se nsitive in the detection of microcalcification in breast cancer when t hey are within a mass lesion, and is a reliable diagnostic sign of car cinoma when present.