OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is ductal carcinoma in situ. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how ductal carcinoma in situ will be characterized on standardized exams (namely the boards and the shelf exams). This page is not meant to be used as a tradition question bank (as all of the answers will be the same), however seeing the classic “test” characterization for a disease is quite valuable.
QUESTION EXAMPLES
Question # 1
A 52 year old woman, G0P0, comes to the clinic for a routine well visit. She has no family history of any major illnesses. Her breast examination is unremarkable. She undergoes routine screening mammography that reveals the presence of microcalcifications. To follow up on this finding the patient receives a breast biopsy. Histological analysis reveals ducts that are distended by pleiomrophic cells who have prominent central necrosis. The lesion does not extend beyond the ductal basement membrane. What is the diagnosis?
Explanation: asymptomatic patient + normal breast exam + microcalcifications on mammography + histological findings (distended ducts with pelimorphic class, contained in basement membrane) = ductal carcinoma in situ
Page Updated: 10.29.2016