what does isodense mass mean

Isodense is an adjective that means possessing a similar radio-density to that of another or adjacent tissue. Formed from the amalgamation of the Greek word 'isos' which means 'equal' and the Latin word 'densus' which means 'thick'. Mass in a medial sense and in this instance means a lump or collection of cohering particles.

Full Answer

What does isodense mean in science?

Isodense meaning (sciences, especially biochemistry) Evenly or uniformly dense; of the same density (as an adjacent object, tissue, etc).

What is the difference between dense and nondense breast tissue?

Breast tissue is composed of milk glands, milk ducts and supportive tissue (dense breast tissue), and fatty tissue (nondense breast tissue). When viewed on a mammogram, women with dense breasts have more dense tissue than fatty tissue. On a mammogram, nondense breast tissue appears dark and transparent.

What is a mass on a mammogram?

In mammography, a mass is defined as a space-occupying lesion, visible in two different projections, characteristic by its shape and contour. The asymmetry of the density, as opposed to the mass, corresponds to a localised asymmetric aspect of the mammary gland, without a defined contour. The mass should be measured and located.

What is the density of mass lesions?

The density of mass lesions shows that 30% lesions were hypodense, 19% were isodense, 16% were hyperdense, and 35% were mixed type of lesions.

What does it mean when a mammogram shows a mass?

A mass might be seen with or without calcifications. Masses can be many things, including cysts (non-cancerous, fluid-filled sacs) and non-cancerous solid tumors (such as fibroadenomas), but they may also be a sign of cancer.

Can a radiologist tell if a mass is cancerous?

While even the most advanced imaging technology doesn't allow radiologists to identify cancer with certainty, it does give them some strong clues about what deserves a closer look. Today we'll discuss a few things that radiologists are on the lookout for when examining mammography and breast ultrasound images.

Can you tell if a breast mass is cancerous from an ultrasound?

A breast ultrasound is most often done to find out if a problem found by a mammogram or physical exam of the breast may be a cyst filled with fluid or a solid tumor. Breast ultrasound is not usually done to screen for breast cancer. This is because it may miss some early signs of cancer.

What does a cancerous mass look like on a mammogram?

What does breast cancer look like on a mammogram? Any area that does not look like normal tissue is a possible cause for concern. The radiologist will look for areas of white, high-density tissue and note its size, shape, and edges. A lump or tumor will show up as a focused white area on a mammogram.

Is a mass a tumor?

A tumor is a mass or group of abnormal cells that form in the body. If you have a tumor, it isn't necessarily cancer. Many tumors are benign (not cancerous). Tumors can form throughout the body.

Can an MRI tell if a tumor is benign?

MRI is very good at zeroing in on some kinds of cancers. By looking at your body with MRI, doctors may be able to see if a tumor is benign or cancerous. According to the World Health Organization, survival rates for many types of cancer are significantly higher with early detection.

What is the next step after a breast ultrasound?

Your doctor may order a breast ultrasound to check for tumors or other abnormalities. If they find a lump that looks like a tumor, they may order follow-up imaging tests and a biopsy to collect a sample of tissue for testing. A biopsy will help your doctor learn whether the lump is cancerous.

How painful is a breast biopsy?

You will be awake during your biopsy and should have little discomfort. Many women report little pain and no scarring on the breast. However, certain patients, including those with dense breast tissue or abnormalities near the chest wall or behind the nipple, may be more sensitive during the procedure.

Why would they do an ultrasound after a mammogram?

If you feel a lump in your breast, or one shows up on your mammogram, your provider may recommend an ultrasound. A breast ultrasound produces detailed images of breast tissue. It can reveal if the lump is a fluid-filled cyst (usually not cancerous) or a solid mass that needs more testing.

Is an Isodense mass cancerous?

In the retrospectively assessed data set, 70.2% of high-density masses were malignant, and 22.3% of the isodense or low-density masses were malignant (P < . 0001).

Can a 5 cm breast mass be benign?

One or several fibroadenomas can occur, and they can develop in one or both breasts. Most fibroadenomas are 1–2 cm in size, but they can grow as large as 5 cm. Simple fibroadenomas are the most common type of fibroadenoma. They are made up of one type of tissue.

What makes a breast lump suspicious?

A large, solid-feeling lump that moves easily under your skin. A hard, irregular-shaped breast lump. Skin redness or dimpling like an orange. Changes in breast size or shape.

Can a CT scan determine if a tumor is malignant or benign?

Can a CT scan detect cancer? A CT scan, like any imaging tool, cannot detect cancer, though it may be useful in helping to identify a mass and determine its location and size.

How can you tell if tumor is benign or malignant?

A benign tumor has distinct, smooth, regular borders. A malignant tumor has irregular borders and grows faster than a benign tumor. A malignant tumor can also spread to other parts of your body. A benign tumor can become quite large, but it will not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of your body.

Will a radiographer tell you if something is wrong?

“They aren't doctors, and while they do know how to get around your anatomy, they aren't qualified to diagnose you.” That is true even though the tech likely knows the answer to your question. Imaging techs administer thousands of scans a year.

Can ultrasound differentiate between benign and malignant?

Based on the heterogeneity of stiffness between different tumor tissues, ultrasound elastography can distinguish between benign and malignant tumors by detecting the modulus of elasticity (10).

What is spiculated breast mass?

A spiculated breast mass, which has spikes extending out from the main mass, is often highly suggestive of cancer.

What does a benign breast mass feel like?

Palpation of Benign Breast Masses. In contrast to breast cancer tumors, benign lumps are often squishy or feel like a soft rubber ball with well-defined margins. They're often easy to move around (mobile) and may be tender. 4 . Breast infections can cause redness and swelling.

What is a mass suspicious of breast cancer?

A mass suspicious of breast cancer is a ‘space-occupying’ lesion seen on at least two mammogram projections. Furthermore, cancerous tumors also tend to be more dense in the middle than at the edges. Radiologists tend to describe breast masses according to their shape, margin, and density.

What is a simple cyst?

A screening finding of a simple cyst. If your mammogram shows mass, a simple cyst is the most common pseudo-mass found at screening. Breast cysts tend to affect women in the 30 to 50 age range, and are uncommon in post menopausal women. Cysts often form in the lobule from a distended acini.

Purpose

To determine whether the mammographic density of noncalcified solid breast masses is associated with malignancy and to measure the agreement between prospective and retrospective assessment.

Materials and Methods

The institutional review board approved this study and waived informed consent. Three hundred forty-eight consecutive breast masses in 328 women who underwent image-guided or surgical biopsy between October 2005 and December 2007 were included.

Results

In the retrospectively assessed data set, 70.2% of high-density masses were malignant, and 22.3% of the isodense or low-density masses were malignant ( P < .0001).

Conclusion

High mass density is significantly associated with malignancy in both retrospectively and prospectively assessed data sets, with moderate prospective-retrospective agreement. Radiologists should consider mass density as a valuable descriptor that can stratify risk.

Introduction

Despite the relatively long history of mammography and recent technical advances, the positive predictive value (PPV) of biopsy for cancer ranges between 15% and 35% and is dependent on both the prevalence of cancer in the population and the age of the patient ( 1 ).

Materials and Methods

The Institutional Review Board of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health approved the study protocol and waived informed consent. The study fully complied with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Results

There were 348 total biopsied masses in our study. These masses were visualized on 334 diagnostic mammograms in 328 patients. There were 309 patients with solitary masses, 18 patients with two masses, and one patient with three masses.

What is dense breast tissue?

Dense breast tissue refers to the appearance of breast tissue on a mammogram. It's a normal and common finding.

How do doctors determine if you have dense breast tissue?

Breast tissue is composed of milk glands, milk ducts and supportive tissue (dense breast tissue) and fatty tissue (nondense breast tissue). Radiologists use mammogram images to grade breast tissue based on the proportion of dense to nondense tissue. According to the BI-RADS reporting system, the levels are (from left to right) A: almost entirely fatty, B: scattered areas of fibroglandular density, C: heterogeneously dense, and D: extremely dense.

What does it mean when you have scattered areas of fibroglandular density?

B: Scattered areas of fibroglandular density indicates there are some scattered areas of density, but the majority of the breast tissue is nondense. About 4 in 10 women have this result.

How does a tomosynthesis work?

Tomosynthesis uses X-rays to collect multiple images of the breast from several angles. The images are synthesized by a computer to form a 3-D image of the breast. Many mammogram centers are transitioning to incorporate 3-D mammograms as part of the standard mammogram technology. Breast MRI.

How many women have dense breasts?

About 1 in 10 women has this result. In general, women with breasts that are classified as heterogeneously dense or extremely dense are considered to have dense breasts. About half of women undergoing mammograms have dense breasts.

Can breast cancer be detected in dense breast tissue?

There's some evidence that additional tests may make it more likely that breast cancer is detected in dense breast tissue. But additional tests carry additional risks, and no additional testing method is proved to reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer.

Do breasts become less dense as you age?

Are younger. Your breast tissue tends to become less dense as you age, though some women may have dense breast tissue at any age.

What is BI-RADS?

The Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) is a reporting and assessment system required by the federal government . This is a dictionary that radiologists use to describe findings in a breast imaging report. This system also organizes assessments and explains the importance of the findings. The assessments range from 0 to 6, with 0 indicating an incomplete evaluation, meaning more imaging is needed before a final decision about the findings can be made, and 6 indicating that there is a known breast cancer diagnosis. The assessments are used to share the appropriate next steps or recommendations with your healthcare team.

What does fibroglandular density mean?

Fibroglandular density refers to scattered areas of density in the breast, which is normal tissue seen in combination with fat.

What is the definition of mass in mammography?

Anatomopathology. In mammography, a mass is defined as a space-occupying lesion, visible in two different projections, characteristic by its shape and contour. The asymmetry of the density, as opposed to the mass, corresponds to a localised asymmetric aspect of the mammary gland, without a defined contour.

What is circumscribed mass?

Circumscribed masses. A circumscribed mass in mammography is a mass where the contour is clearly defined along at least 75% of its surface. The remaining 25% may, at most, be masked by the adjacent gland. Circumscribed masses first indicate benign lesions.

What is circumscribed mass in mammography?

The semiological description of masses in mammography is based on the BI-RADS system provided by the American College of Radiology. The contour is the most discriminating morphological criterion between benign and malignant masses. Most circumscribed masses are benign. Nevertheless, due to specific histological characteristics, certain malignant lesions or lesions with a risk of malignancy may appear in the mammography in this falsely reassuring form. An indistinct contour in the mammography is suspicious and requires a tissue sample. The positive predictive value of malignancy varies according to the morphology of the contour. It is lower for microlobulated contours, increases for masked, then indistinct contours and reaches 96% for spiculated contours. However, in rare cases, certain benign lesions may appear in the form of spiculated masses. In these specific cases, a correlation between the histological results with the imaging data is essential in order to avoid failing to recognise an underlying malignant lesion that the biopsy may have underestimated.

What is the most discriminating morphological criterion between benign and malignant masses?

The contour is the most discriminating morphological criterion between benign and malignant masses. The positive predictive value (PPV) for malignancy ranges from 2% for circumscribed masses to 96% for spiculated masses [2].

Is lipoma a radiotransparent mass?

For this reason, in the mammography, the lipoma typically appears as a well-circumscribed, round or oval, totally radiotransparent mass, exerting a mass effect on the adja cent tissue. Necrosis may be at the origin of rearrangements, with the appearance of arcuate macrocalcifications. Galactocele.

Is fibroadenoma a benign tumor?

A fibroadenoma is a benign fibroepithelial proliferation distinct from the adja cent mammary parenchyma. The distribution of the epithelial structures is homogenous on the surface of the tumour and is balanced with the connective component.

Is circumscribed mass benign?

Most circumscribed masses are benign. Nevertheless, due to specific histological characteristics, certain malignant lesions or lesions with a risk of malignancy may appear in the mammography in this falsely reassuring form. An indistinct contour in the mammography is suspicious and requires a tissue sample.

How to remove a kidney mass?

The contemporary mainstay of surgery for renal masses is laparoscopy, the act of performing abdominal surgery by inflating the abdomen with carbon dioxide, inserting a camera and several instruments that allow for surgery through small incisions with a rapid recovery . Once it is determined that treatment of a kidney mass is necessary, the next step is to review the actual films, usually a contrast CT, to determine if removing only the tumor is feasible. This is always the desired approach, and in Dr. Engel’s hands will always be attempted. In cases however where the tumor is in a central location, invades deeply into the center of the kidney, or if negative margins cannot be assured in the operating room, the entire kidney will be removed. One only needs one healthy kidney, so in such a circumstance the patient is not usually adversely affected.

How to treat renal mass?

Treatment for renal masses is predominately surgical. Radiation and/ or chemotherapy play almost no role in the initial management of a kidney mass unless proof of metastasis exists. In certain cases, a patient may be a candidate for percutaneous management such as freezing the tumor (cryotherapy) or heating the tumor (microwave or ultrasound). Such a patient would be an elderly patient or a patient with co-morbidities precluding surgery, and a tumor location and size that is amenable to such an approach. Cryotherapy is sometimes offered laparascopically by Dr. Engel, but only in cases where laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is precluded due to the location of the tumor.

What is the most common imaging method for finding a mass on the kidney?

Kidney Masses. The incidental discovery of a mass on the kidney has become a commonplace occurrence now that imaging modalities such as ultrasound, MRI and particularly CT scanning is so prevalent. It is of course very scary to be told that by accident a mass or lesion has been found on one’s kidney, and almost always in such a circumstance ...

What is the most common benign renal mass?

The most common benign renal mass is called an oncocytoma. Oncocytomas have a typical appearance when large, but when small look similar to malignancy. Another common benign renal mass, more common in fertile women, is called an Angiomyolipoma.

Where does metastasis occur?

Metastasis is when cancer spreads from its original location in the breast to distant parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs, brain, or bones.

Why is tumor size important in breast cancer?

Tumor size is an important factor in breast cancer staging, and it can affect a person’s treatment options and outlook. Tumors are likely to be smaller when doctors detect them early, which can make them easier to treat. However, the size of the tumor is only one of the factors that doctors consider when staging a person’s breast cancer.

Why is tumor size important?

Tumor size is an important factor when doctors are determining the stage of a person’s breast cancer. However, doctors also take into account several other factors, including:

Introduction

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Materials and Methods

Results

Discussion

Author Contributions