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Mucinous breast carcinoma with tall columnar cells
N Tsoukalas1,2,3, M Kiakou1,3, M Tolia4
1Department of Oncology, 401 General Military Hospital , Athens , Greece.
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
|April 17, 2018
Summary
This case report details a rare columnar cell mucinous carcinoma of the breast, a subtype rarely seen in medical literature. The aggressive tumor presented with inflammatory features and led to metastatic disease despite treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Mucinous carcinoma of the breast is a rare subtype, accounting for 1%-4% of all breast cancers.
- The World Health Organization classifies mucinous breast tumors into three subtypes: mucinous carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma with tall columnar cells, and signet ring cell carcinoma.
Observation:
- A 74-year-old woman presented with an inflammatory mass in the left breast, initially diagnosed as invasive ductal carcinoma.
- Histological examination revealed adenocarcinoma with high columnar cells, a rare variant of mucinous carcinoma.
- The patient had advanced disease (Stage IIIC) and succumbed to pulmonary metastases 16 months post-diagnosis.
Findings:
- This case represents the third reported instance of columnar cell mucinous carcinoma.
- A literature review identified only 21 previous reports of mucinous carcinoma with tall columnar cells, highlighting its rarity.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of accurate histological subtyping for prognostication and treatment planning in rare breast cancers.
- Further research into the specific characteristics and optimal management of columnar cell mucinous carcinoma is warranted due to its infrequent occurrence.
Keywords:
Breast cancerColumnar cell mucinous carcinomaMucinous breast carcinomaMucinous cystadenocarcinomaTall columnar cellsMore Related Videos
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