Is there such a thing as a mammographic emergency?
Probably the only breast imaging–related emergency is an abscess that needs to be drained, but this problem can usually be managed clinically. If a fluctuant mass is present, it can be drained by palpation. Otherwise, if there is clinical concern of an abscess, the patient can be treated symptomatically. Patients are usually in too much pain to get a mammogram; if they undergo imaging, US is usually performed to look for a collection.
