Contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with ultrasonic elastography to diagnose encapsulated papillary carcinoma: A case report

Abstract

Encapsulated papillary carcinoma is a rare malignant breast tumor with low malignancy, and is most commonly found in postmenopausal women. On ultrasound, encapsulated papillary carcinoma has an envelope, and anechoic areas inside the lesion. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound shows marked enhancement without size expand, and ultrasonic elastography suggests soft parenchyma in the lesion. However, it is often challenging to differentiate between encapsulated papillary carcinoma and other breast tumors, especially some benign lesions. Here, we reported a case of encapsulated papillary carcinoma in a 65-year-old female patient who discovered a breast mass three years ago and presented with nipple discharge and pain six months before. This case report demonstrated the ability of multimodal ultrasound to diagnose encapsulated papillary carcinoma.