[Clinically impalpable mammary carcinoma: morphologic and histogenetic analysis. Apropos of 114 cases]

In a population of 2,372 consecutive cases of breast carcinomas, 114 cases of clinically occult non palpable breast lesions have been diagnosed (4.8%). 51% of them can be considered as minimal breast carcinomas (MBC) by Gallager's definition and 72% by that of the American College of Surgeons; whatever the definition this category has an excellent prognosis with 11% of axillary invasion for the infiltrating tumors under 5 mm and 7% for these under 10 mm and 100% 5-year survival rate in both cases. The category of infiltrating tumors of over 5 mm and 10 mm also has a good prognosis with 21% and 26% of axillary lymph node invasion respectively, with a survival rate of 83.82% and 77.92%. The comparative histological analysis shows at this stage an increase in the intraductal carcinomas (IC) (35% instead of 6% for the palpable carcinomas), the infiltrating ductal carcinomas with predominant intraductal component (IDCPIC) (19% instead of 12%) and the tubular carcinomas (11% instead of 3%). The study of the peritumoral and environmental mastopathy and the histological repartition, confirms the classical histogenetic arguments regarding breast carcinomas.