Hamartoma of the breast in two patients: A case report

Breast hamartomas are rare, benign, tumor-like nodules composed of glandular, adipose and fibrous tissue. The hamartoma was first described in 1971 as a lipofibroadenoma, fibroadenolipoma or adenolipoma, based on the predominant component of the breast tissue. Clinical findings resemble fibroadenoma and if there is a palpable mass, the patients may receive an immediate diagnosis. Ductal hyperplasia, apocrine metaplasia, calcification and adenosis may occur within the hamartoma, with rarer instances of lobular or ductal intraepithelial neoplasms. Although hamartoma is usually benign, a malignant transformation is possible. An excision and histological examination is necessary for the differential diagnosis and also for any epithelial lesions of the hamartoma. Simple excision is enough for treatment if there is no coincidental epithelial malignant lesion. The patients in the present study were treated by simple excision as there were no proliferative changes in the lesions. No recurrence or other problems were detected in the 18-month follow-up. The current study presents two cases of breast hamartoma that were diagnosed as an adenolipoma and a fibroadenolipoma, and then describes the macroscopic and microscopic observations of these lesions.