I can find no medical definition. It represents flecks of calcium salts that are deposited with cellular debris. Microcalcifications may be seen with cancer or with benign conditions. Microcalcifications can be a sign of cancer before a lump is palpable. When breast cancer is caught early enough, it can be cured.
Radiologists closely inspect microcalcifications to help determine their meaning.
They represent benign changes in the breast tissue, as a result of inflammation, injury, or a duct plugged with milk years before. A radiologist will look at the size, shape, and number of microcalcifications. Numerous branching, or stellate, microcalcifications are of much greater concern than a small number of smooth or round calcifications. Based on the index of suspicion, a radiologist may recommend a follow-up mammogram in three to six months or a biopsy of the involved area. Microcalcifications are used to help detect cancer.