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. 2011 Jun 20:4:207.
doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-4-207.

Mammograms and breast arterial calcifications: looking beyond breast cancer: a preliminary report

Rachael A Akinola  1 , Okeoghene A Ogbera, Josephine Aa Onakoya, Chris E Enabulele, Idowu O Fadeyibi
Affiliations

Mammograms and breast arterial calcifications: looking beyond breast cancer: a preliminary report

Rachael A Akinola et al. BMC Res Notes. .

Abstract

Background: To find out the prevalence, clinical and biochemical correlates of Breast Artery Calcification (BAC) in the Nigerian women.

Findings: This is a cross sectional study involving 54 consecutive adult female subjects sent to the Radiology Department of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria for screening and diagnostic mammography. The study was carried out for a period of five months.The prevalence of BAC was 20%. Ageing was found to be related to BAC. Cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, obesity, alcohol ingestion, use of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, were not significantly related to the presence of BAC in this study.

Conclusion: This study showed that though the presence of BAC in a mammogram is related to age, it may not predict or serve as a significant marker for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in women in our environment.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Showing the CC and MLO views of a mammogram with "Tram-like calcifications" in the upper quadrant of the breast in an 80 year old woman who incidentally also had a malignant breast mass.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of cardiovascular risk factors in the study subjects and in those with vascular calcifications. Series 1: Proportion of study subjects with CVD abnormalities Series 2: Proportion of the subjects with stated CVD abnormalities that had mammary vascular calcification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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