Cysts

Question 1

Where are cysts commonly located?

Answer 1

Axillary tail

Question 2

What happens to those cysts that are epithelial lined? (2)

Answer 2

1. Wont secrete
2. Have a low recurrence rate

Question 3

What happens to those cysts that are apocrine metaplasia lined? (2)

Answer 3

1. Do secrete
2. Tend to occur more often

Question 4

What are cysts a result of?

Answer 4

Distension and fusion of the acini

Question 5

What % of women have cysts at some point in their life?

Answer 5

50%

Question 6

What are 5 characteristics of a simple cyst?

Answer 6

1. Anechoic
2. Round or oval in shape
3. Smooth contour
4. Posterior acoustic enhancement
5. Lateral acoustic shadowing

Question 7

What age range in women are cysts most common in?

Answer 7

34-55
- perimenopausal

Question 8

What age are cysts relatively uncommon?

Answer 8

Before 30

Question 9

When do cysts often regress?

Answer 9

Menopause

Question 10

What size do cysts have to be to be able to reliably characterize them?

Answer 10

3mm

Question 11

What is the main factor of determine if a cyst is simple or not?

Answer 11

Presence of flow
- simple cysts have no flow

Question 12

What is the average size for clustered microcysts?

Answer 12

< 2-3mm

Question 13

What do complex cysts contain? (5)

Answer 13

1. Internal echoes or debris
2. Internal septations
3. Presence of thick viscous fluid (eg. Milk of calcium)
4. Variations in wall thickness
5. Lack of or uneven through transmission or acoustic enhancement

Question 14

What can complex cysts be a result of? (6)

Answer 14

1. Infection
2. Hemorrhage
3. Purulent viscous fluid
4. Presence of fat
5. Wall calcification
6. Intramural tumour

Question 15

What is an acorn cyst?

Answer 15

A cyst that contains a fat-fluid level

Question 16

Apocrine metaplasia

Answer 16

Is a benign epithelial alteration that occurs in the TDLU

Question 17

When is apocrine metaplasia more common?

Answer 17

40-50

Question 18

Does apocrine metaplasia increase the change of getting breast cancer?

Answer 18

No
- but it is more common in those who already have breast cancer

Question 19

What is the typical appearance of apocrine metaplasia? (2)

Answer 19

1. Lobulated mass composed of a cluster of small anechoic foci with septations
2. Partial acoustic enhancement
   - lobulated mass with combination of small cysts and solid components

Question 20

Milk of calcium cyst

Answer 20

Cysts within the breast that contain small particles of calcium which settle to the dependant portion of the cyst

Question 21

What kind of appearance do milk of calcium cysts have?

Answer 21

Teacup appearance
- only dependent areas show debris

Question 22

What are 3 other names for a sebaceous cyst?

Answer 22

1. Inclusion cysts
2. Epidermal inclusion
3. Epidermoid cyst

Question 23

Where is the location of an inclusion cyst?

Answer 23

Skin line
- make sure its not in the parenchyma

Question 24

What is an epidermal inclusion cyst caused by?

Answer 24

The blockage of a gland orifice, skin pore or hair follicle

Question 25

What is an epidermoid cyst typically found deep to?

Answer 25

Blackened skin pore

Question 26

What is usually necessary in order to image a sebaceous cyst?

Answer 26

Standoff pad

Question 27

Galactocele

Answer 27

Benign milk-filled cyst in the breast

Question 28

What type of Pt is most common to see a galactocele in?

Answer 28

A patient that is nursing / lactating

Question 29

What are galactoceles also known as?

Answer 29

Milk cysts

Question 30

If galactoceles persist for many years, what can they turn into?

Answer 30

Oil cysts

Question 31

What do galactoceles always demonstrate?

Answer 31

Posterior enhancement

Question 32

What can a galactocele present as? (4)

Answer 32

1. Cystic mass with a fat-fluid level 2. Pseudolipoma - when the fat content is high 3. Pseudohamartom - when the lesion is mixed due to water and thickened old milk 4. Pseudoadenoma - when he lesion is exclusively milk mimicking a benign solid tumour

Question 33

What type of cyst is a gurgling cyst?

Answer 33

Complex

Question 34

What does a gurgling cyst derives its name from?

Answer 34

The mobility of the highly reflective echoes contained within

Question 35

Gurgling cyst

Answer 35

Similar features to a simple cyst with tiny mobile internal echoes