Paraffin tissue block radiography of nonpalpable lesions with calcifications detected at mammography: 5-year consecutive series of surgically excised cases

The objective of our study was to evaluate paraffin tissue block radiography following biopsy for breast calcifications at a center for population-based mammography screening. During a 5-year period, we radiographed tissue blocks from 259 breast specimens excised because of nonpalpable calcifications. A total of 124 cases were examined retrospectively and 135 cases were examined prospectively. In 34 of 94 (36 %) retrospectively examined cases with calcifications, the histopathological diagnosis was ductal cancer in situ with or without invasive cancer, compared with 3 of 30 (10 %) cases without calcifications. In 6 cases a primary benign histopathological diagnosis was changed to malignant due to the use of tissue block radiography. Tissue block radiography is a valuable adjunctive method to assure that areas containing calcifications are examined by histopathology.