[Studies on the histological classification of proliferative disease of breast and its relation with breast carcinoma]

According to the degree of fibroplastic proliferation, proliferative disease of breast can be divided into three types: lobular hyperplasia type, fibroadenosis type and fibrosclerosis type. Each type could have simple or compound lesions. The latter include: atypical hyperplasia of duct epithelial cells, large sweat gland metaplasia, cyst and fibroadenoma formation. The progress of lesions coincided with the increase of age. The age of fibrosclerosis patients were close to that of patients with breast carcinoma accompanied with proliferative breast disease. The level of PCNA expression in the three types of proliferative breast disease increased progressively and the level of PCNA expression in fibrosclerosis and breast carcinoma being similar. It is emphasized that in the fibrosclerosis type hyperplasia, the presence of twisting, fragmentation or incomplete encirclement of the periductal myoepithelial cells as well as the basement membrane of the tubules may be considered as a warning to call one's attention to follow up patients closely.