Radial scar on imaging can mimic which condition?

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Radial scar tends to mimic cancer on imaging because its appearance can create architectural distortion and spiculated margins, features that are classic for malignancy. On mammography, it often shows a star-like or radiating pattern with distortion rather than a well-defined mass, which can raise concern for carcinoma. Ultrasound can reveal an irregular, solid-appearing lesion with ill-defined borders. Because these imaging characteristics overlap with those of cancer, radiologists frequently pursue tissue sampling to rule out an associated malignancy or atypia, even though the lesion itself is benign. Other conditions like infection or fat necrosis have different typical imaging cues (inflammation signs, oil cysts, or calcifications with a benign pattern), and vascular malformation shows a distinct vascular pattern on Doppler studies, so they are less likely to be confused with radial scar.