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A tumour in the breast: vaccination granuloma as a differential diagnosis
N N Al-Suliman1, D A Grabau, H Kiaer
1Department of Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
Aims:
Breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer in women; special attention is therefore paid to tumours in the breast region. Vaccination granuloma is a differential diagnosis of tumours in the upper part of the breast.
Methods:
All granulomatous lesions in the breast region since 1970 were retrieved from the files of the Departments of Pathology at Odense University Hospital and Svendborg Hospital.
Results:
Fourteen cases with a histology compatible with vaccination granuloma were found. Eight patients had a known history of tetanus vaccination. The tumours were ovoid, or even rod-shaped, and measured between 8x3 mm and 12x10 mm. Histologically, there were necrotic foci surrounded by histiocytes, lymphocytes, and plasma cells. Aluminium was detected by staining with solochrome azurine.
Conclusions:
The possibility of a vaccination granuloma should be kept in mind in patients with a palpable tumour in the upper part of the breast, as well as in mammography screening conditions and in follow-up patients after previous treatment for breast cancer.