Abstract
The results of a further trial of a clinical diagnostic index (CDI) for ill-defined mammary nodules, based on the algebrical results of positive numerical values (for a suspect feature), or negative numerical values (for non suspect feature), attributed to 10 characteristic semeiological features, previously described, are reported. 222 nodules were clinically examined, all subsequently subjected to mammography and 188 of them to ther-mograpy; they were then operated and examined histologically. Of 106 malignant nodules the accuracy of the CDI was 88.6 % with 4.7 % false negatives; for mammography 65 % with 21.7 % false negatives; for termography (out of 87 cases) 66.6 with 23 % false negatives. The accuracy in 116 benign nodules was 45.6 % for the CDI, 32.7 % for mammography and 29.7 % for termography (out of 101 cases). In three cases of malignant nodules in women below 35 years of age, all three examinations gave negative results. The relations between the diagnostic errors of the three examinations, as well as the dimensions and histo-type of the nodules are also considered. It may be concluded, that the CDI is a simple rapid and highly accurate clinical investigation for early diagnosis of mammary carcinoma.
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