Congenital smooth muscle hamartoma of the nipple: a case report

Hamartoma is a benign developmental disorder. This focal malformation is composed of mature tissues normally observed in a given organ but randomly distributed, often in disturbed quantitative ratio, with growth rate similar to that of the surrounding tissues. Congenital smooth muscle hamartoma presents as flesh-colored or variably pigmented plaque or macule. To our knowledge this is the first case of congenital smooth muscle hamartoma of the nipple reported in the available literature.

A 44-year-old woman with a history of left breast cancer, for which she had mastectomy and axillary node clearance in 2007, presented to the plastic surgery outpatient department to discuss the reconstructive surgery of the left breast and to evaluate her right hypertrophic nipple. After surgical excision of the right nipple-areola complex, histopathological result revealed a previously unreported lesion of the nipple. Diagnosis of congenital smooth muscle hamartoma of the nipple was made after literature review of the previously described cases of congenital smooth muscle hamartoma.

Congenital smooth muscle hamartoma of the nipple should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumors of the nipple. Differentiating congenital smooth muscle hamartoma of the nipple from other types of nipple lesions avoids unnecessary excision of this benign condition.