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Aberrant breast in a rare site: a case report.
Levent Yeniay1, Kilongo Mulailwa, Elmir Asgerov
1Department of General Surgery, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
Case Reports in Medicine
|July 14, 2012
Summary
Aberrant breast tissue, a rare developmental anomaly, can occur outside the typical breast location. This case highlights the incidental discovery of ectopic breast tissue within the mesentery during a biopsy in an elderly female patient.
Area of Science:
- Embryology
- Surgical Pathology
- Human Anatomy
Background:
- Aberrant breast tissue represents a congenital anomaly arising from misplaced embryonic mammary gland tissue.
- Ectopic breast tissue can develop anywhere along the embryonic milk lines, extending from the axilla to the groin.
- While commonly found in the axilla or chest wall, its occurrence in abdominal locations is infrequent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a rare case of aberrant breast tissue incidentally found in the mesentery.
- To discuss the embryological basis and histological confirmation of ectopic breast tissue.
- To contribute to the literature on the anatomical variations of breast tissue development.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 71-year-old female patient.
- Incidental finding during mesenteric biopsy.
- Histopathological examination of the biopsy specimen.
Main Results:
- Histological analysis confirmed the presence of ectopic breast tissue within the mesenteric biopsy.
- The aberrant tissue exhibited typical histological features of mammary gland tissue.
- The finding was incidental, with no presenting symptoms related to the abdominal ectopic breast tissue.
Conclusions:
- Aberrant breast tissue can manifest in unusual abdominal locations, such as the mesentery.
- Histopathological examination is crucial for diagnosing ectopic breast tissue.
- This case underscores the importance of considering developmental anomalies in surgical pathology findings.

