Question

Difficulty: MediumBreast and Endocrine Surgery

Match each patient's clinical and histopathologic presentation to the most appropriate breast pathology diagnosis.

  • A 55-year-old woman with a unilateral, spontaneous, bloody nipple discharge. Ultrasound demonstrates ductal dilation with a 1-cm intraluminal mass.Intraductal papilloma
  • A 32-year-old woman with a rapidly enlarging, 7-cm firm breast mass. Core biopsy reveals a fibroepithelial lesion with cellular stroma and a 'leaf-like' architecture.Phyllodes tumor
  • A 62-year-old woman with a persistent, eczematous, scaling rash over the right nipple. Biopsy demonstrates large cells with clear halos in the epidermis.Paget disease of the breast
  • A 50-year-old woman with architectural distortion on mammography. Pathology shows malignant cells arranged in a single-file pattern due to loss of E-cadherin expression.Invasive lobular carcinoma

Answer

The correct matches are: bloody nipple discharge with intraluminal mass indicates intraductal papilloma; rapidly growing mass with leaf-like architecture indicates a phyllodes tumor; eczematous nipple rash with clear halo cells indicates Paget disease of the breast; and single-file malignant cells with E-cadherin loss indicates invasive lobular carcinoma.
Each clinical and histologic description is a classic hallmark for its respective diagnosis. Intraductal papilloma is the primary cause of bloody nipple discharge. Phyllodes tumors are defined by their leaf-like stromal projections. Paget disease is marked by eczematous nipple changes and intraepidermal clear cells. Invasive lobular carcinoma is characterized by E-cadherin loss resulting in single-file cell invasion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the presentation of unilateral, spontaneous, bloody nipple discharge and an intraluminal mass.
Matches with intraductal papilloma.
Intraductal papilloma is a benign tumor that grows within the lactiferous ducts and is the most common cause of bloody nipple discharge.
2
Evaluate the finding of a rapidly enlarging mass with a cellular stroma and 'leaf-like' architecture.
Matches with phyllodes tumor.
Phyllodes tumors are fibroepithelial lesions characterized by their rapid growth and typical leaf-like (phyllodes) projections on histology.
3
Assess the clinical picture of an eczematous, scaling nipple rash associated with large clear intraepidermal cells.
Matches with Paget disease of the breast.
Paget disease presents as an ulcerating, eczematous rash on the nipple, and histology shows Paget cells (large cells with clear halos) infiltrating the epidermis.
4
Interpret the biopsy showing architectural distortion and malignant cells in a single-file pattern with loss of E-cadherin.
Matches with invasive lobular carcinoma.
The loss of E-cadherin in lobular carcinoma prevents cells from adhering together, forcing them to invade the stroma in a classic single-file arrangement.

Key Concept

Clinicopathologic correlation of common breast lesions
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