What breast density status can tell us about cardiovascular risk

Example of the four types of breast tissue density. The density of fibroglandular tissue inside the breast impacts the ability to easily see cancers. Cancers are very easy to spot in fatty breasts, but are almost impossible to find in extremely dense breasts. These examples show craniocaudal mammogram findings characterized as almost entirely fatty (far left), scattered areas of fibroglandular density (second from left), heterogeneously dense (second from right), and extremely dense (far right). RSNA

Example of the four types of breast tissue density. The density of fibroglandular tissue inside the breast impacts the ability to easily see cancers. On X-ray mammography, cancer and dense breast tissue both appear as white and can hide smaller cancers on 2D mammography. Dense breasts are also a risk factor for cancer. Cancers are very easy to spot in fatty breasts, but are almost impossible to find in extremely dense breasts. These examples show craniocaudal mammogram findings characterized as almost entirely fatty (far left), scattered areas of fibroglandular density (second from left), heterogeneously dense (second from right), and extremely dense (far right). Read more. Image courtesy of RSNA

Breast density is most often discussed within the context of cancer risk, but new research suggests that it also could be used as a marker of cardiometabolic health. 

Less than half of incidental interstitial lung abnormalities on CT exams are reported

Incidental interstitial lung abnormalities largely underreported

Contrast-enhanced thoracoabdominal CT image in a 55-year-old male patient who underwent hepatocellular carcinoma staging shows unilateral patchy subpleural ground-glass opacities (arrows) without CT fibrotic features, lower than 5% in any lung zone. These CT features were classified as indeterminate for interstitial lung abnormalities.

Caption and photo courtesy of Radiology.

This is despite experts cautioning that these findings should be "systematically and fully assessed" due to their progressive nature.