IL FIBROADENOMA DELLA MAMMELLA: STUDIO SU 447 CASI

The authors examined a total of 519 nodules diagnosed preoperatively as mammary fibroadenomas between 1986 and 1991. 235 nodules were removed immediately after diagnosis, either because they had a diameter of over 3 cm or because they were present in women over 45 years old. The preoperative diagnosis was confirmed in 94.9% of cases and after histological examination the nodule was only found to be a carcinoma in one case (0,4%). Those cases not operated at the time of diagnosis were monitored for period of 2 years. At the end of this period 118 nodules had been removed due to a more or less rapid increase in volume. The histological examination of these nodules confirmed the initial diagnosis in 89% cases whereas a malignant pathology was diagnosed in 5 subjects (4.2%). The authors conclude that it is always advisable to remove mammary fibroadenomas when they are larger than 3 cm at the time of diagnosis basically because it is often difficult to determine the rate of growth from the anamnesis. On the other hand, it is vital to monitor non-operated subjects using an accurate follow-up given that, despite the high specificity (98%) of integrated preoperative diagnosis, it is always possible that a malignant pathology may be obscured by the diagnosis of fibroadenoma in a small percentage of cases.