What it means
Spiculated describes the edge of a lump. Instead of a smooth outline, thin lines or spikes reach out into the surrounding tissue, a bit like the rays of a star. These spikes can form when a growth pulls on or grows into the tissue around it, or when scar tissue contracts. Radiologists see it most often on lung CT and on mammograms.
When it matters
Spiculation raises the chance that a lung nodule or breast lump is cancer. So it usually leads to more tests rather than simple waiting. That may be a PET-CT scan (which shows how active the tissue is), a short-term repeat scan or a biopsy. Not every spiculated finding is cancer: scars after surgery, old infections and, in the breast, fat damaged by an injury can look the same.
Questions to ask your doctor
- How strongly does the spiculation point to cancer in my case?
- Could this be a scar or an old infection instead?
- What is the next test, and how soon should it be done?
