Clinical and imaging characteristics of breast ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion

Background: We analyzed the clinical and imaging characteristics of patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion (DCISM) and breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Methods: We analyzed the records of 40 patients diagnosed with DCISM and 61 patients with DCIS who were hospitalized at Shengjing Hospital (Shenyang, China) from January 2009 to June 2016. The size, hardness, and degree of calcification of tumors were determined by mammography and ultrasonography.

Results: In all, 37 DCISM patients and 45 DCIS patients showed clinical palpable masses (92.5% vs 73.77%, P = 0.018). Mammography showed that the mean size of tumor was larger in DCISM patients than that of DCIS patients (3.13 ± 1.51 vs 2.68 ± 1.77, P = 0.030). Ultrasound examination revealed calcification shadows in the solid tumor mass in 17 DCISM cases and 11 DCIS patients (42.5 vs 18.03%, P = 0.007). Furthermore, estrogen receptor positivity and progesterone receptor positivity were more common in DCIS patients (32.5% vs 54.10%, P = 0.033; 22.5% vs 45.90%, P = 0.017), and the percentage of menopausal patients were higher in DCISM patients than that of DCIS patients (70.00% vs 47.54%, P = 0.026).

Conclusion: Clinically palpable and calcified tumor masses on sonography are more commonly encountered in DCISM lesions.