a large cyst with a thin smooth wall. Benign or malignant?
Likely to be benign
Pathophysiology of breast cysts
dilatation of the acini of the lobules and the terminal ducts
Who gets breast cysts?
They occur in the setting of fibrocystic change, particularly in women nearer the menopause.
What can you do to see if the cyst is malignant?
Cytological analysis of fluid aspirated from the cyst is helpful to exclude the presence of malignant cells. Disappearance of the palpable lump following aspiration offers further reassurance that it is most likely a benign breast cyst.
80% of patients with this pathology present with a nipple discharge, which is often blood-stained and may be associated with a lump. They occur more frequently in middle-aged females.
Intraductal/mammary duct papilloma
Close to the nipple the skin has been removed and deep to it a roughly spherical mass is visible, which appears to be pedunculated (on a stalk). The surface is convoluted / papillomatous.
A central mammary duct papilloma (intraductal papilloma), a benign tumour arising in a large duct near the nipple.
fibrovascular cores covered by benign breast glandular epithelium
Intraductal papilloma
Features of intraductal papillomas that occur at the periphery
Tend to be multiple and associated with other proliferative epithelial changes and therefore a mildly increase risk (2-fold) of subsequent invasive breast carcinoma. Nipple discharge is generally not associated with peripheral papillomas.
ANDI
Abnormalities of normal development and involution:
Fibrocystic change
Fibroadenoma
Papilloma
Infalmmatory breast lesions
Common:
Uncommon:
Common site for extra nipples
Milk line, axilla
Ruptured duct, particularly during lactation, may have bacterial infection, usually staph, but not usually infected
Acute mastitis
Post traumatic lump/distortion, painless mass often with skin involvement, may calcify, mimics carcinoma clinically
Fat necrosis
Histology:
Haemorrhage, damaged adipocytes, foamy macrophages, foreign body giant cells, fibrosis, calcification
Fat necrosis
young, recurrent subareolar abcess, squamous metaplasia, 90% smokers, cheesy green discharge, often bilateral
Duct ectasia/ periductal mastitis
Histology:
Dilated duct, lumen: granular necrotic pink debris with lipid-laden macrophages, atrophic lining epithelium, periductal inflammation: plasma cells
Duct ectasia
stellate lesion, benign, central nidus: entrapped glands, elastotic and fibrotic stroma, peripheral glands with hyperplasia and cyst formation, myoepithelial cells present
Mimics carcinoma on mammogram, frequently seen in breast screening
Radial sclerosing lesion
Intraduct papilloma
What are the papillary lesions?
Not always a papilloma!
Benign
• Papilloma
In-situ:
• Micropapillary DCIS
• Intracystic papillary carcinoma
Invasive:
• Invasive papillary carcinoma
• Micropapillary carcinoma
What are the fibroepithelial lesions?
Mixed epithelial and stromal lesions:
• Fibroadenoma (benign, common)
• Phllodes tumour (spectrum from benign to high grade malignancy, uncommon), stromal layer becomes invasive
Fibroadenoma
Phyllodes tumour
Fibrocystic changes
Fibrocystic changes