Women with painful breasts without palpable masses: do they really need a mammogram?

This prospective study was carried out over a period of 36 months, and the study population was, all the women (726) referred for mammograms on account of painful breast(s) without palpable masses. They were matched with the same number of asymptomatic women in a control group. The mammographic findings in the women with painful breast(s) and no palpable masses were normal in 639 (88%), benign in 80 (11%), suspicious in 2 (0.3%) and malignant in 5 (0.7%). In the control group mammograms showed normal breasts in 625 (86.1%), benign and suspicious lesions in 87 (12%) and 7 (1.0%) respectively. Malignant lesions were recorded in 7 (0.9%) women. The prevalence of breast cancer was similar in women with painful breast(s) and the control asymptomatic cases. Our reports show that inspite of the pain experienced by the women in this study mammography had a low diagnostic yield of malignant lesions, just as it was found in the control group. Mammography therefore, in these patients will only provide reassurance.