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[Paget's disease of ectopic breast]
1Cabinet de dermatologie, 8, rue Jules-Ferry, 33290 Blanquefort, France.
Annales De Dermatologie Et De Venereologie
|April 21, 2018
Summary
Paget's disease of the breast is rare, especially in supernumerary breasts. Early diagnosis of this rare condition requires considering subjective symptoms, as imaging may be flawed.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Dermatology
- Radiology
Background:
- Paget's disease of the breast is a rare condition, even rarer in supernumerary (ectopic) breasts.
- Diagnosis is often delayed due to lack of awareness and exploration of ectopic breast tissue.
- Ectopic breasts, found in 6% of the population, are susceptible to the same diseases as normal breasts.
Observation:
- A 44-year-old woman presented with several months of pain in her supernumerary breast.
- Initial ultrasound was normal, leading to an excision biopsy due to persistent, unexplained symptoms.
- The biopsy revealed intra-epidermal Paget's disease without an underlying carcinoma.
Findings:
- Paget's disease is an in situ adenocarcinoma, accounting for less than 3% of breast cancers.
- This case represents only the fourth reported instance of Paget's disease in an ectopic breast.
- The diagnosis was challenging due to the absence of objective clinical signs, highlighting the importance of subjective symptoms like pain and itching.
Implications:
- Subjective symptoms in supernumerary breasts warrant thorough investigation for early Paget's disease detection.
- Standard imaging like ultrasound and mammography may be insufficient for diagnosing Paget's disease in ectopic breasts.
- Confocal microscopy shows promise for screening ectopic breasts with nipple or areola patches, potentially improving early detection rates.