Radiologic Presentation of Invasive Ductal and Lobular Breast Carcinoma: A Single-Center Experience from Oman

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The most frequent histological subtypes are invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), which demonstrate different biological behaviours and heterogeneous imaging features. ILC is more likely to produce subtle radiological findings such as architectural distortion or asymmetry, whereas IDC commonly presents as a well-defined mass with spiculated margins and associated calcifications. This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Sur Hospital, Oman, and included Omani female patients diagnosed with histologically confirmed IDC or ILC between 2017 and 2025. Mammographic and ultrasound features were reviewed in relation to age, breast density, tumour size, and BI-RADS classification. A total of 46 cases were included, of which 91.3% were IDC and 8.7% were ILC. The median age at diagnosis was 50 years, and the median tumour diameter was 3.0 cm. On mammography, masses with calcifications and architectural distortion were the most common findings. Ultrasound demonstrated predominantly irregular lesions with hypoechoic or heterogeneous echotexture. Most lesions were classified as BI-RADS IV or V. This study documents the mammographic and ultrasound patterns encountered in routine clinical practice. Because only four ILC cases were included, the ILC observations should be interpreted descriptively and should not be regarded as evidence of definitive subtype-specific differences.