Malignant lymphomas of the breast

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Hematology
• Pathology

Background:

• Primary non-Hodgkin malignant lymphomas (ml) of the breast are rare, accounting for 0.05-0.5% of all malignant breast tumors.
• These lymphomas are predominantly of B-cell origin.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate 10 cases of primary breast malignant lymphoma diagnosed between 1980-1989.
• To characterize the subtypes, grades, and clinical stages of these rare breast malignancies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 10 primary breast malignant lymphoma cases from the Malignant Lymphoma Reference Center, Pécs, Hungary.
• Histopathological re-evaluation focusing on B-cell origin, grade of malignancy, and specific subtypes.
• Clinical staging at presentation was assessed.

Main Results:

• Nine out of 10 cases were B-cell lymphomas.
• Four cases were low-grade and six were high-grade malignancy.
• Among high-grade cases, four were centroblastic lymphomas, with one suspected transformation from low-grade MALT lymphoma. One case resembled mediastinal clear cell lymphoma.
• Seven patients presented at clinical stage IE. Five additional cases with suspected breast tumors showed reactive lesions (florid follicular hyperplasia).

Conclusions:

• Primary breast malignant lymphomas are predominantly high-grade B-cell neoplasms.
• Potential transformation from low-grade to high-grade lymphoma exists.
• Distinguishing malignant lymphoma from reactive hyperplasia is crucial in breast pathology.