Body Part - Breast
SUBCUTANEOUS
Space below the skin where fat is usually located.
TANGENTIAL VIEW
A mammographic technique used to determine if a mass or calcification is within the skin.
TISSUE
A piece of flesh from a part of the body (i.e. brain tissue, muscle tissue, breast tissue, skin tissue, etc).
TRABECULAR THICKENING
This look like thickened web-like lines within the breasts on a mammogram. This can be caused by multiple conditions such as mastitis, inflammatory carcinoma, radiation, surgery, edema and metastatic disease.
ULTRASOUND
A study using high-frequency sound waves to look inside the breast.
ULTRASOUND-GUIDED BIOPSY
This is a biopsy technique of the breast using ultrasound (as opposed to x-rays). This technique is usually used to sample anything other than microcalcifications. The patient lies supine (on her back) during this biopsy. Because most people more comfortable being on their back for a long time (compared to being on their belly), patients usually favor this technique over stereotactic biopsy. This is performed with local anesthesia and, for most patients, results in little pain.
VACCUM ASSISTED BIOPSY
This technique “sucks” the sample tissue into the biopsy needle. It is often used in stereotactic and MRI-guided core biopsies.
VASCULAR CALCIFICATIONS
These look like a bunch of white parallel lines. These are not cancerous. These can be associated with atherosclerotic disease or diabetes.