Ultrasound of breast lesions in pregnancy and lactation. Pictorial essay.

Breast lesions diagnosed during pregnancy and lactation are not very different from those detected in non-pregnant women. The diagnosis is often difficult due to the hormone-induced physiological changes of the breast that consequently alter the normal imaging appearance. Even if most of the breast lesions diagnosed during pregnancy and lactation are benign, breast cancer can also appear, and a correct diagnosis may be challenging. The aim of this pictorial essay is to review the imaging appearance of the breast during pregnancy and lactation, the ultrasound features of the most frequent pathologies encountered in this period and to discuss the limitations and the benefits of each imaging method with emphasis on their role in the diagnosis algorithm.