Diagnostic Accuracy of the Modified Triple Test in Palpable Breast Lumps: A Retrospective Diagnostic Accuracy Study in Comparison with Histopathology
Faizan Akhtar, Sabiha Maimoon, Gulshan BandreIntroduction:
This study was conducted to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Modified Triple Test (MTT) in the distinction of benign versus malignant palpable breast lumps in comparison to the gold standard histopathological diagnosis. The study was conducted at a tertiary care center.
Materials and Methods:
This retrospective diagnostic accuracy study was conducted at a tertiary care center over a period of 2 years (November 2018–October 2020). Consecutive patients presenting with palpable breast lumps who underwent ultrasonography, fine-needle aspiration cytology, clinical breast examination, and subsequent histopathological examination were included. The sample size of 100 patients was based on feasibility during the study period, and no formal power calculation was performed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and overall diagnostic accuracy were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using 2 × 2 contingency table analysis.
Results:
The MTT exhibited a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 96.97%, and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 98%. Notably, the NPV was 100%. In addition, the test showed a highly significant correlation with the final histopathological diagnosis, with a
Conclusion:
The MTT demonstrated high diagnostic performance in this single-center retrospective study. However, findings should be interpreted cautiously due to methodological limitations, including retrospective design, exclusion of inconclusive cases, and potential verification bias. Further prospective multicenter studies are recommended before advocating universal implementation.