JOURNAL ARTICLE
REVIEW
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Breast US in children and adolescents.

Ultrasonography (US) is of value in the evaluation and characterization of breast masses in children. Most masses represent either normal breast tissue, cysts, or fibroadenomas. Premature thelarche may be unilateral, and normal breast tissue is found at US. Cysts are commonly retroareolar; when they become infected, they appear sonographically as a complex mass. Fibroadenoma is the most frequent breast tumor in adolescent girls, and it is usually solitary, homogeneous, and hypoechoic. Malignant breast lesions are very rare in children; most are due to metastatic disease secondary to rhabdomyosarcoma, leukemia, lymphoma, and neuroblastoma, and their US appearance is nonspecific. Gynecomastia in boys can be mimicked by general obesity and pectoral hypertrophy; US is helpful in the diagnosis, especially when gynecomastia is asymmetric. Most breast lesions in children and adolescents are benign, and surgery should be avoided to prevent later deformity. US is the ideal imaging modality to evaluate breast lesions and may be used to guide a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Color Doppler US evaluation is helpful; cysts are avascular, fibroadenomas may be avascular or hypovascular, and abscesses show peripheral increased flow. Bloody nipple discharge is more common in prepubertal patients, may occur in infants, and may be secondary to mammary ductal ectasia. Discharge commonly resolves spontaneously, and findings at US are frequently normal.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app