Ultrasound in the diagnosis of papillary breast lesions

Papillary lesions are defined as an amalgam of various lesions which represent a diagnostic challenge, for both the radiologist and pathologist. They are diagnosed on the basis of a combination of clinical, imaging, and pathological findings and their features carry differing prognostic implications for the affected patients. The aim of this pictorial essay is to review the clinical and pathological findings in papillary breast lesions, to show the advantages and limits of each imaging method in their diagnosis with emphasis on the importance of ultrasound in the differential diagnosis. Also, the spectrum of ultrasound features (conventional, Doppler ultrasound and elastography) of papillary lesions of the breast will be illustrated.