Carcinoma arising in microglandular adenosis of the breast: triple negative phenotype with variable morphology

Carcinoma arising in microglandular adenosis (MGACA) is an extremely rare subtype of breast carcinoma. In this study, clinicopathological analysis of MGACA from 11 Chinese patients was conducted. Microscopically, all cases showed a spectrum of structure and glandular proliferations ranging from microglandular adenosis (MGA) to atypical MGA (AMGA) to MGACA. Carcinoma components were composed of high grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in 1 case and invasive carcinoma in 10 cases. Invasive carcinomas were grade 3 in 10 tumors and grade 2 in 1. Invasive components in 5 of 10 cases were composed of invasive carcinoma of no special type (NST), and 1 case showed partially acinic cell differentiation. In 5 cases, invasive components were mixed of NST and matrix-producing carcinoma (MPC). All epitheliums in 11 cases were triple negative (ER-, PR-, HER2-), and diffuse positive for CK and S-100 protein. No myoepithelial cells were demonstrable from MGA to invasive components with immunohistochemical staining for P63 and calponin. PAS or reticulin stain showed the presence of a basement membrane around glands in MGA, AMGA, DCIS, and its absence in invasive components. Follow-up time ranged from 10 to 64 months. One patient developed a lung metastasis 24 months after surgery, 10 patients have been alive without recurrence. Our study revealed that MGACA is a distinct subset of breast carcinoma, with triple negative phenotype, high grade nuclear and variable morphology. Despite histopathologic and immunohistochemical features usually associated with a poor prognosis, MGACA seems to have a relatively favorable outcome.