[Secretory carcinoma of the breast as a separate entity--histological, histochemical and ultrastructural study]

A rare case of secretory carcinoma of the breast in a 50 year old woman is presented. The tumor, 1.4 cm in diameter, was located in subareola of the left breast. Microscopically, the majority of the tumor cells were arranged in sheets or large clusters, which were separated by fibrous septa, and a few of the tumor cells in ductal pattern. Most of the tumor cells contained a single large cyst-like space, some of which even occupied the entire cytoplasm. In these tumor cell clusters, gland-like spaces lined by cuboidal cells were also present. Within intracellular and intercellular spaces there was abundant secretory material, which consisted mostly of sulfomucins and less sialomucins as proved by histochemical stain. Electron microscopic examination showed numerous intracellular and extracellular lumina filled with moderate electron-dense granular material as well as high electron-dense spherical bodies. There were microvilli projecting on the surface. Some tumor cells contained large number of membrane-bound secretory vacuoles with small spherical bodies. The tumor cells were attached to each other by desmosomes and junction complexes.