Breast MRI after reduction

Mommato3

Last year I underwent a reduction on my left breast. I've been getting imaging (mammo/US) every six months due to dense breast tissue on my left side. Two weeks ago I had an MRI that came back suspicious. There is a focal heterogeneous non mass enhancement in the upper-outer quadrant. My MO said it's possible the suspicious area could be trauma due to the reduction. I had a mammogram and ultrasound two days after the MRI that didn't show anything suspicious. Has that happened to anyone?

Meow13

Well, I had a scare from the breast MRI this summer. They saw something new that lit up. The machine was new not the same one I had before. They went right to biopsy because of my history even though it was on my constructed DIEP side, no breast tissue side. Well there is a slim chance of left over tissue. Anyway it turned out to be nothing but fat necrosis. My onco was a bit puzzled since it had been 5 years since my surgery. So fast forward to my mammogram this month. I saw the area on the images and the radiologist was showing me the change from last years mammo. The tissue was tightening and compressing a mass from surgery. It was an encapsulation of scar tissue. She said it reacting by encapsulating around the scar tissue as if it were a foreign object.

Bottom line it is not only possible but probable that surgery will cause some changes. The MRI is very sensitive and know to false positives. If I had a mammo right after the MRI I might have avoided the biopsy.

Also the MRI radiologist told me that the biopsy was the thing to do since she thought it wouldn't show up on mammogram.

Mommato3

Thanks Meow. The area that lit up wasn't seen on mammo or ultrasound. I thought that would make me feel better until my MO said she thought IF it was something that it might be LCIS. I was finally starting to feel better about my diagnosis from 2014 and now this happens.

Meow13

I hope you get good news. This is what makes breast cancer so hard to live with.

Mommato3

My biopsy showed no cancer! I'm so happy.

MinusTwo

Great news Mommato - congrats!!!

Meow13

good news