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Mammary ductoscopy is useful as a direct and accurate method of characterizing intraductal lesions
Mammary
ductoscopy is useful as a direct and accurate method of characterizing
intraductal lesions. We previously conducted intraductal biopsies to
obtain small tissue samples from intraductal lesions for histologic
diagnosis and demonstrated that benign lesions may be diagnosed
noninvasively using mammary ductoscopy-guided intraductal biopsy and that,
in cases of malignant tumors, intraductal cancer spreading toward the
nipple can be evaluated preoperatively by mammary ductoscopy. Thus
preoperative characterization of intraductal lesions through mammary
ductoscopy may be useful for determining when
breast-conserving surgery (BCS) can be utilized or when surgery is not
indicated. Endoscopic classifications of lesion growth patterns include
the polypoid-solitary type, the polypoid-multiple type, the combined type,
and the superficial type. Such classification is useful for the diagnosis
of intraductal lesions and management of nipple discharge. While the
number of lesions is a very important consideration for endoscopic
classification and histologic diagnosis, the number of lesions cannot be
determined if a lesion obstructs the ductal lumen. In the circumstances,
morphology seems to represent a useful parameter for the noninvasive
endoscopic differentiation of benign versus malignant intraductal lesions
as indicated in our paper.
Bibliographic reference:
Masujiro Makita Department of Breast Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
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