[Present data on pathological anatomy of female breast carcinoma]

Ultrastructure of breast carcinomas shows most of mammary carcinomas to be of lactiferous ductal origin. Lobula epithelioma is very unusual, lactiferous ductal epithelioma is very frequent. The latter can be recognized at its preinvasive stage. Difficulties arise when an attempt is made to classify tumors in relation to their prognosis. Undifferenciated lactiferous ductal epitheliomas develop more quickly but opinions differ as to the prognostic value of lymph node alterations occuring in the absence of metastases. The difficulties are due to the fact that quantitative dissemination of cancerous cells can take place at any developmental stage of the carcinoma, thus preventing to foresee the presence of micrometastases. The authors have insisted in the interest of recognizing preinvasive lesions of breast carcinoma. Practically, such a recognition is very difficult and the parameters to be considered were discussed by the authors.