Unusual Breast Tumors: Primary Lymphoma. A Case Report

Abstract

An 82-year-old woman presented with a right breast lump with erythematous reaction of the overlying skin and corresponding lymph nodes. Cytological examination of the breast lesion and lymph nodes suggested a lymphoid proliferation. Frozen section revealed carcinoma with lymphoid stroma. Simple mastectomy was performed because of the extent of the lesion. Histological diagnosis was non-Hodgkin type B large-cell lymphoma. Primary breast lymphomas behave similarly to lymphomas of similar histologic types occurring in other sites. The authors illustrate the diagnostic difficulties and the usefulness of complementary techniques in the diagnosis of an unusual breast mass.

Follicular Lymphoma of Breast: a Case Report from Pakistan

“…Secondary FL of the breast is a relatively common entity with extramammary spread by FL, that is, nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow. [2] Therefore, metastatic disease breast is often an unexpected diagnosis in a female patient presenting with a breast mass. The most common source is spread from contralateral breast carcinoma.…”

“…PBL is much less common than SBL. [2] In 1972, Wiseman and Liao defined PBL as any lesion with an adequate pathologic specimen; both mammary tissue and lymphomatous infiltrate in closer relation to each other; no evidence of widespread disease and no prior diagnosis of extramammary lymphoma. [3] In studies, PBL has also been recently reported to be of lower grade than SBL.…”

“…[5] Lymphomas are described as a cancer of the lymphatic system and can be subdivided approximately into 40% Hodgkin's lymphoma and 60% non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). [2] It arises in nodal tissue as well as in extranodal lymphatic tissue. The incidence of extranodal NHL is remarkably increasing.…”

“…Lymphomas are described as a cancer of the lymphatic system and can be subdivided approximately into 40% Hodgkin’s lymphoma and 60% non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). [ 2 ]…”

“…Organs having areas of lymphoid tissue such as the gastrointestinal tract, skin, bone, brain and Waldeyer’s ring have been described as a site of extranodal involvement. [ 2 ] However, NHL may rarely occur in tissues that do not usually contain lymphoid areas, such as the breast. BL is 0.4% of all NHL and <3% of extranodal NHL.…”