Lange Mammography Practice Exam

Which lesion is commonly mistaken for carcinoma but is typically not associated with skin changes?

Inflammatory carcinoma Fat necrosis Postoperative scarring Galactocele

Correct Answer:

Postoperative scarring

Explanation:

Postoperative scarring can imitate the look of cancer on imaging because scar tissue causes architectural distortion and irregular densities. The key distinction is that it usually carries no skin changes, unlike inflammatory cancer which presents with skin thickening, edema, or erythema. A strong clue is a history of prior breast surgery and stability of the scar over time on serial studies. Fat necrosis and galactocele can also mimic lesions, but they have different imaging features (oil cysts or fatty calcifications for fat necrosis, and a milk-filled cyst for galactocele). The absence of skin changes makes postoperative scarring the best match for a lesion commonly mistaken for carcinoma but not associated with skin involvement.

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