Axillary lymph node morphology in women with in situ breast carcinoma. An autopsy study

Axillary lymph nodes in 184 female autopsy cases were studied using morphological criteria. Special attention was paid to the morphology in 34 women with in situ breast carcinoma (in situ BC) compared to the remaining women without malignant breast lesions, who served as controls. Sinus histiocytosis (SH) and diffuse cortical hyperplasia (DCH) were significantly more frequent among women with in situ BC compared to controls. No significant association was found between unilateral in situ BC and these lymph node patterns on the contralateral side. Germinal center and follicular hyperplasia (GCH/FH), lymphocyte depletion (LD), fibrosis, hyalinization, calcifications and lipomatosis were not associated with in situ BC. The results indicate that in situ BC provokes reactive morphological changes of the regional axillary lymph nodes similar to the changes associated with a good prognosis in women with invasive breast cancer (IBC).