Breast masses on ultrasound mostly benign in child patients

Tuesday, December 3 | 8:30 a.m.-8:40 a.m. | T1-SSPD03-4 | Room E350

In this session, results will be shown on the prevalence and outcome of breast masses found on ultrasound evaluation and biopsy in children.

Christian Barrera, MD, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston will present the findings, which suggest that breast masses in this population are mostly benign; malignancy is rare.

Women younger than 40 are not recommended for breast screening, so young women in their teenage years do not undergo routine mammography screening. Symptoms of breast masses in children include tenderness in the breast and nipple discharge.

The Barrera team evaluated the prevalence of breast masses in girls ages 13 to 18 years. It included data collected between 2018 and 2024 from 773 breast ultrasound exams. Additionally, the team collected data from ultrasound-guide breast mass biopsies performed on 78 girls.

The researchers observed the following:

  • Fibroadenoma (n = 49) was the most common diagnosis, followed by fibroepithelial lesion (n = 15).
  • Out of the 78 girls who underwent biopsy, 29 (37%) underwent surgical excision.
  • Nine girls were upgraded from fibroepithelial lesion to fibroadenoma and two girls were upgraded to Phyllodes tumor. Three were diagnosed with a hamartoma, three with intraductal papilloma, and one with nodular fasciitis.

The team also identified no malignant pathology results among the study population.

To find out what these findings mean for pediatric care, attend this session.

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