# Microcalcification

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{{Short description|Calcium deposits in the breast}}
[[File:Mammogram microcalcifications in carcinoma in situ, CC, details.png|thumb|upright=1.3|[Mammogram](/source/Mammogram) microcalcifications in [ductal carcinoma in situ](/source/ductal_carcinoma_in_situ)]]

'''Microcalcifications''' are tiny [deposits](/source/Calculus_(medicine)) of [calcium](/source/calcium) salts that are too small to be felt but can be detected by [imaging](/source/medical_imaging).<ref>{{cite web |title=NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms |url=https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/microcalcification |website=National Cancer Institute |access-date=23 April 2019 |language=en |date=2 February 2011}}</ref> 

They can be scattered throughout the [mammary gland](/source/mammary_gland), or occur in clusters.
Microcalcifications can be an early sign of [breast cancer](/source/breast_cancer). Based on morphology, it is possible to classify by radiography how likely microcalcifications are to indicate cancer.
<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nalawade |first1=Yojana V |title=Evaluation of breast calcifications |journal=The Indian Journal of Radiology & Imaging |date=November 2009 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=282–286 |doi=10.4103/0971-3026.57208 |pmid=19881103 |issn=0971-3026|pmc=2797739 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==In breast==
Microcalcifications in the [breast](/source/breast) are made up of [calcium phosphate](/source/calcium_phosphate) or [calcium oxalate](/source/calcium_oxalate). When consisting of calcium phosphate, they are usually [dystrophic calcifications](/source/dystrophic_calcifications) (occurring in degenerated or necrotic tissue).<ref name="pmid35251632">{{cite journal| author=Logullo AF, Prigenzi KCK, Nimir CCBA, Franco AFV, Campos MSDA| title=Breast microcalcifications: Past, present and future (Review). | journal=Mol Clin Oncol | year= 2022 | volume= 16 | issue= 4 | page= 81 | pmid=35251632 | doi=10.3892/mco.2022.2514 | pmc=8892454 | url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&tool=sumsearch.org/cite&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=35251632  }} </ref> Yet, the mechanism of their formation is not fully known.<ref name="wilkinson">{{cite journal |last1=Wilkinson |first1=Louise |last2=Thomas |first2=Val |last3=Sharma |first3=Nisha |title=Microcalcification on mammography: approaches to interpretation and biopsy |journal=The British Journal of Radiology |volume=90 |issue=1069 |article-number=20160594 |doi=10.1259/bjr.20160594 |pmid=27648482 |pmc=5605030 |issn=0007-1285|year=2016 }}</ref>

Calcium oxalate crystals in the breast may be seen on [mammography](/source/mammography) and are usually benign, but can be associated with [lobular carcinoma in situ](/source/lobular_carcinoma_in_situ).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/breastcalcification.html|title=Microcalcifications|author=Hind Warzecha, M.D.|website=Pathology Outlines}} Last author update: 1 June 2010</ref>

Microcalcification was first described in 1913 by surgeon [Albert Salomon](/source/Albert_Salomon_(surgeon)).<ref name=wilkinson/>

<gallery>
File:Histopathology of microcalcifications in non-neoplastic breast.jpg|Calcium phosphate microcalcifications in non-neoplastic breast tissue.
File:Histopathology of dystrophic microcalcifications in ductal carcinoma in situ.jpg|Histopathology of dystrophic calcium phosphate microcalcifications in [ductal carcinoma in situ](/source/ductal_carcinoma_in_situ) (DCIS) of the breast, H&E stain. 
File:Histopathology of a breast cyst with calcium oxalate crystals, annotated.jpg|Histopathology of calcium oxalate crystals in a benign breast cyst, H&E stain.
</gallery>
In contrast to an artifact of crowded cells, the DCIS calcification pictured above characteristically extends outside the focal plane, as the background DCIS is blurred in this focus.

== References ==
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Category:Medical signs

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Microcalcification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcalcification) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcalcification?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.