Medical Central Resource

Gold deposits in axillary lymph nodes

Monica Medynski

6/23/97

Presentation

Annual screening mammogram in a patient with normal breast examination and no family history of breast carcinoma.

Imaging Technique

Plain X-ray

Imaging Findings

Radiopaque particles in two axillary lymph nodes of the left breast.

Diagnosis

Gold deposits in axillary lymph nodes

Discussion

Differential diagnosis for radiopaque deposits in axillary lymph nodes includes: gold deposits from therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, silicone from free silicone injections (illegal in the United States), silicone from ruptured prosthesis, and rarely calcifications due to nodal metastasis from breast carcinoma.

Submitted by: Monica Medynski,Capt,USAF,MC,Wilford Hall Medical Center
Reviewed by: Stacey Stevens,Capt,USAF,MC,Wilford Hall Medical Center

References

Kopan's Breast Imaging