Digitization of microcalcifications in breast radiographs. Correlation with pathologic data.

A series of 104 nonpalpable breast lesions detected by mammograms and containing microcalcifications were studied. Intraoperative radiographs of intact and sliced specimens were assessed, followed by microscopic diagnosis on frozen sections of areas containing microcalcifications. Microcalcifications detected on mammograms and radiographs of the specimens were digitized and evaluated in accordance with morphometric parameters, including the mean surface, shape factor, bend energy, envelope surface and total surface, total number and concentration of microcalcifications. Benign disorders, atypical hyperplasia and carcinomas accounted for 47.2%, 4.8% and 48% of the tissue lesions, respectively, but the disorders were most often heterogeneous and mixed. Most, but not all, parameters significantly correlated with the three types of radiographs, although radiographs of the sliced specimens provided images of the best quality. Only two parameters, mean size and bend energy, were significantly different (P = .008, .0036) in benign and malignant lesions. It is concluded that image analysis of digitized microcalcifications in radiographs may provide quantitative data helpful in mammogram interpretation.