Contralateral Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Mimicking an Intramammary Lymph Node: A Case Report of MRI Detection and Elastography Differentiation in a Patient with Prior IDC
Abstract
We report a rare case of contralateral invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) diagnosed three years after initial treatment for invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The new lesion, detected incidentally on screening MRI, mimicked an intramammary lymph node on MRI and ultrasound due to its well-circumscribed appearance and hilar-like echogenicity. Shear-wave elastography revealed high stiffness values, raising suspicion for malignancy. Core biopsy confirmed ILC. This case underscores the critical role of MRI in detecting clinically occult cancers and highlights elastography’s potential to unmask malignancies mimicking benign structures.
Keywords
Breast MRI, Shear-wave elastography, Intramammary lymph node, Invasive lobular carcinoma
Supporting Institution
This work was supported by the Department of Radiology, Ankara Güven Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye.
Ethical Statement
This case report was approved by the Scientific Committee of Ankara Güven Hospital (Approval Date: 04 September 2025). The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case and accompanying images.
Thanks
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all members of the Breast Center at Ankara Güven Hospital for their continuous support, dedication, and collaboration in clinical and research activities that made this work possible.
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