Breast Flashcards
What is the rule of 2s for normal breast tissue?
2 main structures: large ducts + terminal ductal lobular unit
2 types of epithelial cells: Luminal + Myoepithelial
2 types of stroma: Interlobular + Intralobular
What is the breast composed of?
15 – 25 lobes, further subdivided into lobules which are composed of acini + ductules ~30
Each lobe drains through a main lactiferous duct into the nipple.
What are the functional units of the breast?
Terminal duct-lobular units (TDLU)
Successive branching of lactiferous ducts distally leads to the terminal duct which proliferates further to give arise to acini (lobules) + ductules
TDLU: Extralobular terminal duct, acini (lobules) + ductules
What are typical presentations of breast disease?
Breast lump +/- pain
Abnormal screening mammogram.
Nipple discharge.
On evaluation, what are the most common causes of apparent breast lumps statistically?
Fibrocystic change 40%
No disease 30%
Misc. benign 13%
Cancer 10%
Fibroadenoma 7%
What are appropriate investigations for breast disease?
Triple assessment:
Physical examination.
Imaging: Sonography, mammography + MRI
Pathology: FNA cytopathology +/- histopathology
How are pathology investigations conducted?
Cytopathology + biopsy
Lesion aspirated by a 16/ 18 gauge needle
What is the most common cause of nipple discharge?
Papilloma
What are the differences between pathological and physiological nipple discharge?
Path: unilateral, single duct, spontaneous, persistent +/- blood/ pain
Phys: bilateral + from multiple ducts
Why is breast FNA cytology useful?
Provides good cellular detail
Quick to prepare
What are the disadvantages of breast FNA cytology?
Can’t assess architecture
Can’t differentiate atypical ductal hyperplasia from low grade cancer
Can’t differentiate high grade in situ carcinoma from invasive cancer
What is cytopathology? What is it used for in breast disease?
Cells spread across a slide + stained.
Investigation of nipple discharge + palpable lumps.
How are breast lump aspirates coded?
C1-5:
C1: Inadequate
C2: Benign
C3: Atypical, probably benign
C4: Suspicious of malignancy
C5: Malignant
What is histopathology?
Intact tissue removed, fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin wax, thinly sliced, stained with H+E.
Attained via core biopsies/ surgical excisions.
Takes 24h to process.
Provide architectural + cellular detail.
How are the results of the NHS breast screening programme coded?
Core biopsies coded B 1-5.
B1: Normal breast tissue.
B2: Benign abnormality.
B3: Lesion of uncertain malignant potential.
B4: Suspicious of malignancy.
B5: Malignant (B5a: DCIS, B5b: Invasive carcinoma).
What is duct ectasia? What causes it? In which women do we more commonly see it? How does it present?
Benign inflammation + dilation of large breast ducts.
Aetiology unclear.
5th-6th decades, multiparous F
No increased risk of malignancy.
Usually presents with nipple discharge. +/- breast pain, mass, nipple retraction.
What is seen on cytology of nipple discharge in duct ectasia?
Proteinaceous material + inflammatory cells only.
What is acute mastitis? In which women is it often seen? What causes it? How does it present?
Acute inflammation in breast.
Often seen in lactating women due to cracked skin + stasis of milk. May also complicate duct ectasia.
Often Staphylococci.
Painful red breast (usually unilateral)
Drainage + abx usually curative.
What is fat necrosis? What cause it? How does it present?
Benign inflammatory reaction to damaged adipose tissue.
Caused by trauma, surgery, radiotherapy.
Breast mass, late stages +/- focal calcification
What is galactocele? How does it present? Any complications?
Cystic dilation of a duct during lactation
Usually multiple ducts
Tender palpable nodules
Secondary infection may convert to acute mastitis/ abscess
What is fibrocystic disease? What is the incidence? How does it present?
A group of alterations in the breast which reflect normal, albeit exaggerated, responses to hormonal influences.
Very common.
Breast lumpiness.
No increased risk for subsequent breast carcinoma
What is a fibroadenoma? What is the incidence? How does this present?
Benign fibroepithelial neoplasm of the breast.
Common.
Young F: 20-30y
Circumscribed mobile breast lump
Simple “shelling out” = curative.
What is a Phyllodes tumour? What is the incidence? How does this present?
A group of potentially aggressive fibroepithelial neoplasms of the breast.
Uncommon tumours.
Enlarging masses in > 50s
Some may arise within pre-existing fibroadenomas.
Majority: benign
Small proportion: more aggressive
What is an intraductal papilloma?
Benign papillary tumour arising within the duct system of the breast.
Arise within small terminal ductules (peripheral papillomas) or larger lactiferous ducts (central papillomas).
Summarise the epidemiology and presentation of an intraductal papilloma.
Common.
Mostly 40-60y
Central: nipple discharge.
Peripheral: may remain clinically silent if small.
Excision of involved duct is curative.
What are radial scars?
Benign sclerosing lesion characterised by a central zone of scarring surrounded by a radiating zone of proliferating glandular tissue.
Range in size from tiny microscopic lesions to large clinically apparent masses.
If >1 cm aka “complex sclerosing lesions”.
How do radial scars present? What is the theorised aetiology?
Reasonably common.
Thought to represent an exuberant reparative phenomenon
Stellate masses on screening mammograms- may closely resemble a carcinoma.
Excision is curative.
What are proliferative breast diseases? How are these detected?
Diverse group of intraductal proliferative lesions associated with an increased risk for development of invasive breast carcinoma.
Microscopic lesions, usually produce no Sx
Diagnosed in breast tissue removed for other reasons or on screening mammograms if they calcify.
What is usual epithelial hyperplasia?
Not considered a direct precursor to invasive breast carcinoma
but is a marker for slightly increased risk (relative risk of 1.5-2.0) for subsequent invasive carcinoma.
What is flat epithelial atypia/ atypical ductal carcinoma?
May represent earliest morphological precursor to low grade ductal carcinoma in situ.
1.5x relative risk of developing cancer.
How does in situ lobular neoplasia present? What is it considered to be?
More common in 50s, does not form palpable mass
Solid: no lumen
RF for subsequent invasive breast carcinoma in either breast in a minority
Relative risk ~8-10x
What is ductal cell carcinoma in situ (DCIS)? What is the incidence?
Neoplastic intraductal epithelial proliferation with an inherent (not inevitable) risk of progression to invasive breast carcinoma.
Common.
Incidence markedly increased since introduction of breast screening programmes.
How is DCIS detected?
85% on mammography as areas of microcalcification.
10% produce clinical findings: lump, nipple discharge, or eczematous change of the nipple (Paget’s disease of nipple)
5% incidentally in breast specimens removed for other reasons.
What is the treatment of DCIS?
Complete surgical excision with clear margins is curative.
Recurrence is more likely with extensive disease + high grade DCIS.