Lakshmi Vaidyanathan, MD Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA
Karen Barnard, MD, MPH Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA
D. Michael Elnicki, MD Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Director, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA
Address: D. Michael Elnicki, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside, 5230 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, e-mail elnickim@msx.upmc.edu
ABSTRACTMany women have breast symptoms—swelling and tenderness, nodularity, pain, palpable lumps, nipple discharge, or breast infections and inflammation. Fortunately, relatively few have breast cancer. Physicians must distinguish benign breast conditions from malignant ones, and know when to refer the patient to a specialist. We have included some of the newer diagnostic techniques and the approach to patients with nonpalpable lesions detected on a screening mammogram.