Radial scar/complex sclerosing lesion—a problem in the diagnostic work‐up of screen‐detected breast lesions

Abstract

During the first 7.5 years of breast cancer screening in South Australia, 88 radial scar/complex sclerosing lesions were among the mammographically detected abnormalities. A false‐positive cytological diagnosis by fine needle biopsy was given in three of 69 such cases with satisfactory smears, a false‐positive rate of 4.3% in this particular group. A review of the smears suggested that the false‐positive diagnoses could have been avoided if a total or near total absence of a benign epithelial component had been included among the criteria for a malignant diagnosis. However, even after review, atypia was considered sufficiently worrying to be reported as a suspicion of malignancy in 7% of cases.