Go back to the list of case studies Click on the pictures to magnify and display the legendsCase number: | 037 |
Age: | 50 |
Clinical presentation: | Postmenopausal woman with average risk of developing breast cancer presented with a left breast lump noticed 6 months ago. This was associated with pain at the site. Examination revealed a tender firm mobile lump less than a centimetre in diameter in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast. |
Mammography:
Breast composition: | ACR category b (there are scattered areas of fibroglandular density) |
Mammography features: | |
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‣ Location of the lesion: | Left breast, upper outer quadrant at 3 o’clock, anterior and middle thirds |
‣ Mass: | |
• Number: | 1 |
• Size: | 1.5 × 1.0 cm |
• Shape: | Irregular |
• Margins: | Microlobulated |
• Density: | Equal |
‣ Calcifications: | |
• Typically benign: | None |
• Suspicious: | None |
• Distribution: | None |
‣ Architectural distortion: | None |
‣ Asymmetry: | None |
‣ Intramammary node: | None |
‣ Skin lesion: | None |
‣ Solitary dilated duct: | None |
‣ Associated features: | None |
Ultrasound:
Ultrasound features: Left breast, upper outer quadrant at 3 o’clock |
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‣ Mass | |
• Location: | Left breast, upper outer quadrant at 3 o’clock |
• Number: | 1 |
• Size: | 1.0 cm in greatest dimension |
• Shape: | Irregular |
• Orientation: | Not parallel |
• Margins: | Microlobulated |
• Echo pattern: | Hypoechoic |
• Posterior features: | No posterior features |
‣ Calcifications: | None |
‣ Associated features: | Internal vascularity |
‣ Special cases: | None |
BI-RADS:
BI-RADS Category: 4B (moderate suspicion of malignancy)
Further assessment:
Further assessment advised: Referral for cytology and for excision biopsy
Cytology:
Cytology features: | |
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‣ Type of sample: | FNAC |
‣ Site of biopsy: | |
• Laterality: | Left |
• Quadrant: | Outer lower |
• Localization technique: | Palpation, rubbery consistency felt through the needle |
• Nature of aspirate: | whitish |
‣ Cytological description: | Cellular smear showing elongated, branching epithelial fragments of regularly arranged cohesive cells. Single, bare bipolar or oval nuclei are scattered in the background. Loose fibromyxoid stroma are also seen |
‣ Reporting category: | Benign |
‣ Diagnosis: | Fibroadenoma |
‣ Comments: | None |
Histopathology:
Lumpectomy
Histopathology features: | |
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‣ Specimen type: | Lumpectomy |
‣ Laterality: | Left |
‣ Macroscopy: | Lumpectomy specimen (9.0 × 7.0 × 3.0 cm) with skin flap. Cut surface shows a firm white area (1.2 × 1.0 × 0.5 cm), 1.0 cm from the inferior margin below the skin. Another whitish area (3.0 × 2.0 cm) is seen superomedially |
‣ Histological type: | Sections from lumpectomy specimen reveal histological features of a fibroadenoma having intracanalicular and pericanalicular patterns. A few ducts in the fibroadenoma show features of UDH. The overlying skin is unremarkable. The adjacent fibroadipose tissue shows foci of fibrosis |
‣ Histological grade: | |
‣ Mitosis: | |
‣ Maximum invasive tumour size: | |
‣ Lymph node status: | |
‣ Peritumoural lymphovascular invasion: | |
‣ DCIS/EIC: | |
‣ Margins: | |
‣ Pathological stage: | |
‣ Biomarkers: | |
‣ Comments: | |
Case summary:
Postmenopausal woman presented with left breast lump. Diagnosed as mass of suspicious morphology, BI-RADS 4B on imaging and as fibroadenoma left breast on cytology. Fibroadenoma showed foci of epithelial hyperplasia on histopathology. |
Learning points:
- Fibroadenoma can reveal atypical features on ultrasound suspicious of breast carcinoma, such as irregular shape, heteroechogenicity, microcalcifications within the mass, or posterior shadowing. Microlobulated margins are a feature of atypical fibroadenoma. These atypical appearances are caused by interdigitation of the surrounding parenchyma.
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