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Introduction: The aim to individuate the eventual correlation between the two pathologies has justified deeper studies to achieve new prospective approaches for both disease., Background: We have selected 4 groups of patients who presented an association between the two pathologies: a) malignant breast pathology associated to a malignant thyroid pathology, b) patients with breast carcinoma who presented association with some thyroid alterations, c) patients with thyroid carcinoma who presented association with some breast alterations, d) patients who presented some associations between benign breast pathology and benign thyroid pathology., Materials and Methods: We have excluded all patients with a clear physiological or surgical menopausal status, and we've so considered only patients with a regular menstrual cycle. We've so selected a group of 120 patients and we've performed in all these patients during the early follicular phase the following exams: breast echographic evaluation and thyroid echographic-structure and volume determination and finally hormonal determinations we have so obtained two breast subgroups: 32 patients with hyperestrogenic integrative hormonal characteristics, 28 patients subjected to adjuvant hormonal therapy with hypoestregenic hormonal status and finally two thyroid subgroups, 22 patients showing clinical or subclinical hypothyroidism, 38 patients showing clinical or subclinical hyperthyroidism. We've compared these data to a random age-matched health control women group of 25 patients., Results: The first group of patient showed a thyroid hormonal pattern of subclinical hypothyroidism or at least free T3 and free T4 mean value currently under and TSH and TPO Ab levels curve currently over the mean values of the control group. The second group showed the TSH suppressed with free T3 and free T4 curves currently over the mean value of the control group. The third group showed slight elevations in serum PRL levels curve. The fourth group showed increased estrogen levels-curve, often over the mean value of the control group., Conclusion: How much is it allowed to perform an hormonal therapy, specially for a benign pathology if we're not yet able to understand the deep and unknown interaction between breast and thyroid?

All mammary lesions diagnosed at the Institute of Pathological Anatomy of the University of Modena have been systematically filed since 1990 and reported in a bulletin, which is issued twice a year and delivered to health operators. So far, 5.188 cases of breast lesions, comprising 1.999 non-neoplastic pathologies, 1.040 benign tumors, 1.943 primary malignant neoplasms and 206 recurrences, have been filed. During the quinquennium 1990-1994, a progressive numerical reduction in diagnoses of non-neoplastic lesions coupled to an increase of benign tumors has been observed, whereas the number of primary malignant tumors has not changed. In particular, a statistically significant increase in diagnoses of carcinoma-in-situ and of fibrocystic disease associated with moderate-risk lesions (atypical hyperplasias) has been detected, whereas the number of cases of single fibrocystic disease has decreased. This reduction, however, is not significant. A slight increase of breast carcinomas smaller than 1 cm and 2 cm, coupled to a decrease of those exhibiting dimensions between 2 and 5 cm, has been found. The collection and systematic analysis of cases of mammary lesions appears to represent a useful tool to study the incidence of different breast pathologies in the general populations. It can also be viewed as a simple way to test the reliability of diagnostic methods used for selection of surgical cases.

Microcalcific clusters represent good indicators for breast cancer detection. The Authors evaluated 98 cases of breast microcalcifications in patients with no palpable lesions. The patients had undergone mammography, biopsy and excised specimen's radiography to confirm that the target lesion was adequately removed. The presence of microcalcifications was detected through a computerized instrument which allows the digitalization of the image.

This work was aimed at framing duct ectasia as a nosologic entity and at studying its features and US incidence. Duct ectasia is a generally asymptomatic disorder of the mammary gland, which is usually included in the generic terms of mammary dysplasia, mastopathy, and so on. Nine hundred patients underwent US with a high-definition probe. They were divided into five groups according to age--i.e., 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60 years old, and over 60. Three hundred and two patients had undergone mammography in the previous six months: mammograms were selected according to Wolfe patterns. Radial US scans were performed around the nipple to detect the presence of major duct ectasia, which spreads centrifugally following a segmental pattern through the breast. US features included linear rosary-like dilatations and pseudocystic ectasia. On transverse scans, the ducts sometimes exhibited cyst-like appearance. Nearly 50% of patients was asymptomatic. US incidence rates did not differ from histologic rates; duct disorder prevails between 50 and 60 years of age and is absent in women under 30. US is an extremely simple method to study this disorder of the mammary gland.

From January 1988 through December 1991, 81 men were examined for breast enlargement or mass in our Institute, by means of clinical examination, mammography, and US. The patients' age ranged 15-71 years (mean: 52 years). Of 81 studied patients, 71 had gynecomastia, 8 had adipomastia, 1 had an infiltrating ductal carcinoma, 1 an angiofibrolipoma and 1 a simple cyst. Both the carcinoma and the cyst were associated with gynecomastia. Three mammographic patterns of gynecomastia were observed: a glandular pattern in 42 cases (32 bilateral and 10 monolateral), a dendritic pattern in 12 (8 bilateral and 4 monolateral), and a nodular pattern in 15 (9 bilateral and 6 monolateral). On US, gynecomastia appeared diffuse in 54 patients and focal in 15. The infiltrating ductal carcinoma was clinically evident; no asymptomatic cancers were detected. Surgical biopsy was performed in 40 cases. A good correlation was observed between mammographic and US signs. The combined use of the two modalities can improve diagnostic accuracy. Biopsy must be performed in all questionable cases.