Table 2 Clinical characteristics associated with fat necrosis after breast reconstruction
From: Natural course of fat necrosis after breast reconstruction: a 10-year follow-up study
|  | Fat necrosis (n = 42) |
|---|---|
Mean period until the detection of fat necrosis (months, ±SD) | 21.1 ± 17.2 |
Mean mass size of fat necrosis at the time of diagnosis (cm, ±SD) | 2.5 ± 1.5 |
Grade (n, %) | |
 1 (Radiologic evidence only) | 33 (78.6) |
 2 (Palpable but not visible) | – |
 3 (Palpable and visible) | 3 (7.1) |
 4 (Painful fat necrosis) | 6 (14.3) |
Imaging modalitiesa (n, %) | |
 Mammography | 13 (31.0) |
 Ultrasonography | 41 (97.6) |
 Breast MR imaging | 1 (2.4) |
Pathologic confirmation (n, %) | |
 Fine-needle aspiration cytology | 1 (2.4) |
 Needle biopsy | 34 (81.0) |
 Excision biopsy | 7 (16.7) |
Resolved status (n, %) | |
 Not resolved | 16 (38.1) |
 Resolved | 26 (61.9) |
Mean period for the complete resolution of fat necrosis (months, ±SD) | 45.9 ± 42.1 |