Purpose: To study the imaging appearances of breast lesions in female patients with Carney complex.
Materials and methods: Seven patients with Carney complex underwent mammography (n = 5), ultrasound (US) (n = 6), or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (n = 6) in a prospective study. Previous breast images in three patients were reviewed. Mammograms in two additional patients were retrospectively reviewed. Thus, nine patients aged 16-61 were included in this study.
Results: Mammograms showed well-defined, iso- or hypodense masses; most were not calcified. Two lesions contained calcifications; both were biopsy-proved ductal adenomas. US demonstrated solid, hypoechoic, well-circumscribed masses in six patients and complex cystic masses (myxoid fibroadenomas) in one patient. MR imaging with a fat-suppressed, fast spin-echo, T2-weighted sequence demonstrated high-signal-intensity lesions (n = 5). Fat-suppressed, spoiled gradient-recalled-echo MR images demonstrated hypointense lesions with variable contrast material enhancement (n = 5). Five of seven patients in the prospective review had multiple breast lesions on at least one study. Mammograms and US scans were negative in three patients each. Chest and breast MR images were negative in only one patient.
Conclusion: Female patients with Carney complex often have multiple breast masses with variable imaging appearances that probably represent myxoid fibroadenomas or ductal adenomas. MR imaging showed the most lesions. These lesions all demonstrate benign characteristics and should not prompt multiple biopsies.