Carcinoma of aberrant breast tissue. A report of 3 cases

Abstract

SUMMARYThree cases of carcinoma of aberrant breast tissue are described and the literature is briefly reviewed. It is suggested that subcutaneous nodules of uncertain origin around the periphery of the breast should be viewed with suspicion and treated by early excision.

Carcinoma Originating from Aberrant Breast Tissue: Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…Aberrant breasts, in contrast, are found in proximity to the normal breast and consist of accessory fragments of breast tissue beyond the periphery of the gland. It may occur in the axillary, sternal, infraclavicular, or epigastric regions [12,13], among which the axillary site is the most common [2,13,21].…”

“…They commonly respond to the hormonal stimulations of menses or pregnancy in terms of engorgement and discomfort [13].…”

“…It can be present anywhere along the milk line, from the axilla to the inguinal region [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. The incidence of ectopic accessory breast is uncertain, but it is generally accepted to be found in 1-2% of humans [12,13]. EBT is subject to all of the physiological and pathological changes of the normal breast, including carcinoma [14], although carcinoma of aberrant breast tissue is rare [15,16].…”

MRI Appearance Of Ectopic Axillary Breast Tissue During Lactational Period

“…The most common pathology of the accessory breast is cancer followed by mastopathy and fibroadenoma (3). Cancer of the accessory breast tissue has been reported to be 0.3-0.6% of all breast cancers, occurring in axilla in 70-80% of the cases.…”

Hypermetabolic Axillary Mass on 18F FDG PET/CT: Breast Cancer Arising from Accessory Breast Tissue

“…Other primary sites include skin, lung, pharynx, thyroid, stomach, pancreas, and colon, as well as Hodgkin's disease and various types of sarcomas [5]. The prognosis of carcinoma arising from aberrant breast tissue is worse than that of normal breast cancer because of early metastasis to lymph nodes [6]. The important criteria for diagnosis are (1) absence of metastatic carcinoma, (2) no continuity with the normal breast tissue, (3) existence of normal breast tissue around the carcinoma, and (4) absence of sudoriparous carcinoma in the axilla.…”