Mammographic spectrum of traumatic fat necrosis: the fallibility of "pathognomonic" signs of carcinoma.

Five cases are presented which illustrate the spectrum of mammographic features of traumatic fat necrosis. The appearances vary from one indistinguishable from carcinoma to single or multiple lipid-filled cysts with or without calcified walls. Branching, rodlike, or angular microcalcifications associated with fat necrosis may resemble the calcifications associated with carcinoma. A location close to the skin or areola is a clue that the lesion may have resulted from blunt or surgical trauma. A review of these cases leads us to the important conclusion that while breast carcinoma in some cases has characteristic radiographic findings, there are no "pathognomonic" findings.