Mammographic and Sonographic Findings of Unilateral Breast Edema in Congestive Heart Failure: A Case Report

Eun Kyung Kim, Seung Koo Lee, Ki Keun Oh
1997 Journal of the Korean Radiological Society  
Unilateral breast edema has many causes, though among these, congestive heart failure .is rare. We report mammographic and sonographic findings of unilateral breast edema due to congestive heart failure. Mammography showed diffuse increase density and skin thickening but no evidence ofmass or calcification. Ultrasonography showed skin thickening and increased echogenicity in the subcutaneous fat layer, while in the dermal layer, with tubular and reticular anechoic structures suggestive of
more » ... d lymphatics were seen. After treatment ofthe heart failure, resolution ofthe abnormalities seen on mammogram established that these were secondary findings. Index Words: Breast, diseases Breast, US Breast radiography Bilateral breast edema due to f1uid retention in congestive heart failure has been previous1y noted (1 , 2). Rarely, unilatera1 breast edema may a1so develop during the course of congestive heart failure and its symptoms are similar to those of uni1ateral advanced carcinoma (3 -5). We report the mammographic and sonographic findings of a patient with unilatera1 breast edema due to congestive heart failure. Casereport A 47-year-이 d woman was admitted to the cardiac center because of dyspnea, dizziness, and swelling of her ankles and left breast. During the four preceeding years, she had suffered from congestive heart failure, and this had become exacerbated. On physica1 examination, the left breast was diffusely en1arged and a1so showed pitting edema; neither erythematous change nor hardness were, however, apparent, and there was no axillary 1ymphadenopathy. The right breast was norma1 in sizeand shape. The suggested clinica1 diagnosis was congestive heart failure and malignancy of
doi:10.3348/jkrs.1997.36.6.1097 fatcat:3taypuwz35g6nfx6htfqqvfa3y