Role of clinical examination in the evaluation of patients with breast lumps: A cytopathological study

Sharma,Santosh Kumar; Singh,Sompal; Kumar,Sanjay

doi:10.3892/wasj.2024.248

Role of clinical examination in the evaluation of patients with breast lumps: A cytopathological study

Authors:
- Santosh Kumar Sharma
- Sompal Singh
- Sanjay Kumar
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Affiliations: Department of Life Science, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201310, India, Department of Pathology, Hindu Rao Hospital and NDMC Medical College, Delhi 110007, India
Published online on: June 4, 2024 https://doi.org/10.3892/wasj.2024.248
Article Number: 33
Copyright : © Sharma et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY 4.0].

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Abstract

The triple test is an initial approach used for the evaluation of breast lumps. The clinical and physical examination are a critical component. Various studies indicate that there is difference in the clinical examination findings of benign vs. malignant breast lumps. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the significance of differences in the clinical examination of benign and malignant breast lumps from a cytological perspective. For this purpose, 301 consecutive breast lumps examined using fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) cases were included in the study. The patients were divided into category C‑1 to C‑5 based on the International Academy of Cytology classification system for the FNAC reporting of breast lesions. The clinical examination parameters studied included the age of the patients, duration, consistency, tenderness, mobility, location in the breast and the laterality of the lump. The cases were grouped into the benign group (C1, C2 and C3) and suspicious/malignant group (C4 and C5). The median duration of the benign lumps was 4 months compared with that of the malignant lumps, which was also 4 months. The malignant lesions were more likely to be in the upper quadrant, and were also non‑mobile and hard (non‑tender) upon a clinical examination. There were statistically significant differences in some of the clinical features, namely in the duration of presentation, site, mobility and consistency of the breast lump among various cytological category. On the whole, the present study re‑emphasizes the importance of a thorough clinical examination for the better management of patients with breast lumps.

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