Shear-Wave Elastography Features of Primary Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma of the Breast: A Case Report and Literature Review

Lymphoma is a rare malignancy of the breast, comprising approximately 0.04 to 0.5% of breast malignancies. Because the clinical findings of breast lymphoma are nonspecific and similar to those of breast carcinoma, it is important to distinguish breast lymphoma from other breast disease on the basis of radiologic findings. Elastography is an interesting imaging tool that reflects the tissue stiffness, increasingly being used in the evaluation of breast tumours. However, only a limited number of studies have focused on the elastographic findings of breast lymphoma. In this report, we review the radiologic characteristics of primary breast lymphoma including elastographic feature. A 57-year-old woman presented with a painless palpable mass of the left breast. Ultrasonography revealed an irregular-shaped complex cystic and solid mass with increased vascularity in upper outer breast. On shear wave elastography, the mass was relatively stiff with maximum elasticity value (E-max) of 100.5 kilopascal (kPa). The mass was confirmed as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by US-guided core needle biopsy.