Breast aneurysm

Breast aneurysms are a rarely seen cause of a breast mass.

Pathology

Types

• true aneurysm: occurs post trauma and is seen as a slowly enlarging pulsatile mass
• false aneurysm / pseudoaneurysm: occurs in acute trauma, post percutaneous biopsy, due to spontaneous hemorrhage secondary to coagulopathies or due to malignant vascular invasion

Radiographic features

Ultrasound

On grey scale ultrasound it may be seen as an anechoic, well-defined cystic structures with moving contents within. Color Doppler may show vascularity with turbulent flow.

CT 

May show brilliant contrast enhancement within the lesion, similar to an adjacent vessel.

Treatment and prognosis

Management options include:

• external compression
• thrombin injection
• angioembolisation with coils
• surgical repair