[Role of imaging procedures in the diagnosis of synchronous bilateral breast cancer].

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role of imaging procedures in the diagnosis of synchronous bilateral breast cancer (SBBC) PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patient group consisted of consecutive women undergoing managed for SBBC in our institution between January 2006 and July 2012. We defined SBBC as bilateral breast tumors diagnosed simultaneously or up to 3 months after initial diagnosis. Clinical data included comorbidities, BMI (kg/m(2)), preoperative breast imaging modalities used and their findings. RESULTS:Of the 2322 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer treated on the study period, 46 patients with the diagnosis of SBBC were enrolled to the study. A total of 41.3% patients had family history of breast cancer. A total of 56.52% had clinical symptoms. The most frequent situation of diagnosis (32.6%) was the association of a palpable tumor and a contralateral radiologic abnormality. MRI permitted the diagnosis of 19.6% occult contralateral lesions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:Clinical examination and conventional imaging procedures (mammography and sonography) detects the majority (76%) of synchronous contralateral breast cancers. A family history of breast cancer, a multifocal breast tumor or the presence of an invasive lobular carcinoma should be arguments for the realization of a breat MRI to eliminate contralateral malignancy.