Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the breast coexisting with infiltrating ductal carcinoma

Abstract

A recently described and rare variant of breast carcinoma, mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (MCA), is reported in a 65-year-old post-menopausal woman. She presented with a gradually enlarged breast tumor. A well-circumscribed tumor measuring about 3 cm in diameter was noted in the mammographic and ultrasonographic examinations. The mammographic and ultrasonographic findings were indistinguishable from more common mucinous carcinoma (colloid carcinoma) of the breast. The gross appearance of the tumor was well-defined and cystic, consisting of abundant transparent to bloody mucin, as well as whitish solid parts. Microscopically, the tumor was characterized by abundant extracellular and intracellular mucin. It looked like a mucinous cystic neoplasm of the ovary and pancreas. Particularly, few microscopic foci of ordinary intermediate-grade infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were observed around the main lesion in this case. A transition from ordinary DCIS to MCA in situ was found. It might indicate MCA derives from a metaplasia process of ordinary DCIS. MCA can be easily differentiated from mucinous carcinoma by quite different histologic and immunohistochemical findings. According to the previously reported and present cases, MCA of the breast more commonly affects elderly women and has a relatively favorable prognosis.

Primary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the breast with amplification of the HER2 gene confirmed by FISH – and review of the literature

“…In some cases, DCIS and/or invasive ductal carcinoma were reported in the tissue surrounding the tumor [3,8,11]. In our case high nuclear grade DCIS with comedonecrosis was also present in some foci around the periphery of the tumor.…”

“…MCA of the breast is histopathologically very similar to its ovarian and pancreatic counterparts [1,3,4,6] and contains both extracellular and intracellular mucin.…”

“…Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (MCA) is a rare variant of the primary breast carcinomas [1][2][3][4][5]. It is strikingly similar to ovarian and pancreatic counterparts [1,2,5].…”

Mucinous Cystadenocarcinoma: A Rare Variant of Breast Carcinoma: Case Report

“…8 Ac cor ding to Ko e nig and Ta vas so li, the tu mor cells are ne ga ti ve for ER-alp ha and PR. 1 Ho u na et al al so re por ted that tu mor cells were ne ga ti ve for ER-alp ha and PR, sug ges ting that MCA's of the bre ast de ve lop in de pen dentl of es tro ge nic sti mu lati on.…”

“…Of the eight pre vi o usly re por ted ca ses, one ca se was as soci a ted with ad ja cent fo ci of DCIS, mu ci no us cystade no car ci no ma in si tu and in va si ve duc tal car ci no ma. 8 Anot her ca se was as so ci a ted with adja cent DCIS and a fo cus of or di nary mu ci no us carci no ma. 6 Two ca ses had fo ci of mu ci no us cysta de no car ci no ma in si tu and one had DCIS adja cent to the tu mor.…”