Aberrant Breast Cancer

Abstract

Two female patients with ages 38 and 41 were referred to the breast surgery units with firm inflammatory masses in the axilla. Both of them were treated with antibiotics. In our physical examination, the first patient had a 1 · 1 cm mass at the upper medial quadrant and another conglomerate mass at the axilla. The bilateral mammographic examination showed no evidence of malignity (B_IRADS 2) (Fig. 1). Ultrasonography (USG) of the left breast showed a complicated cyst at the radius of 9 and two hypoecoic benign masses in the axilla, 25 · 17 mm and 17 · 17 mm in size (Fig. 2). In the physical examination of the second patient, we determined a conglomerate mass at the axilla adjacent to the arm. The bilateral mammographic examination showed no evidence of malignity (B_IRADS 2) (Fig. 3). USG of the left breast showed an 31 · 15 mm hypoecoic benign mass in the left axilla. We performed true-cut biopsies to the axillary masses. The pathology evaluation reported invasive ductal carcinoma for both of the patients. The other laboratory and radiologic results indicated that these lesions were not metastatic but primary lesions. To obtain long-term survival, diagnostic suspicion and early biopsy of unidentified lesions of the axilla is essential. Even if radiologically benign, subcutaneous nodules with unknown origin around the periphery of the breast should be always evaluated carefully with the suspicion of carcinoma of aberrant breast tissue. Figure 1. Left axilla with no evidence of malignity.