Human breast microcalcification: Comparative study involving contact microradiography and backscattered-electron-imaging plus x-ray microanalysis

This paper describes a simple technique for the preparation of 20-μm thick, freeze-dried, cryostat sections for correlative scanning electron microscopy (SE and BE imaging), electron-probe X-ray microanalysis, microradiography, and for routine histological and histochemical examination of human breast biopsy specimens.The combination of BE imaging and X-ray analysis proved to be a fast, effective and definitive method for the identification of calcified deposits <1μm in diameter. The potential use of this technique in the histopathological survey and diagnosis of human breast biopsies is discussed, since it is recognized that the appearance of calcification is an early indication of breast disease.