Abstract
Objectives:To review the imaging findings of a series of cases of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast, a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer with variable imaging features.Materials and methods:Retrospective review of multimodality imaging features of eleven cases of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast retrieved from a single hospital institution database. Clinical and pathologic data were also documented.Results:The median age of presentation was 65 years. Four cases had axillary lymphadenopathies, and two had distant metastases. An oval mass was the most common sonographic finding (7/11; 64%). Lesions displayed circumscribed/partially circumscribed margins (6/11; 55%) or non-circumscribed margins (5/11; 45%). Most lesions had a heterogeneous echo structure (9/11; 82%) and posterior acoustic enhancement (6/11; 55%). In nine patients, mammographies were available. An oval dense mass was the most common mammographic finding (5/9; 56%). The majority of cases had non-circumscribed margins (6/9; 67%), and nearly half displayed calcifications (4/9; 44%).Conclusions:Mammographic findings were not different from the usual features of more prevalent types of breast cancer, though the majority of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast showed possible distinctive sonographic features, such as circumscribed margins or complex echogenicity, reflecting the histologic background.
Highlights
Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast (MCB) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer, representing less than 1% to 5% of cases [1,2,3,4]. It should be distinguished from invasive ductal carcinoma, because MCB has a worse prognosis, and from breast sarcoma, because the treatment approach is different [5, 6]
MCB is a general term applied to a heterogeneous group of breast cancers, which have in common a metaplastic change to a non-glandular component [1, 8, 9]
The purpose of this study is to review the imaging findings of a series of cases of MCB comprising different modalities and to assess clinical and pathologic findings
Summary
Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast (MCB) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer, representing less than 1% to 5% of cases [1,2,3,4]. The type and degree of metaplastic change is variable, leading to different histopathologic subtypes [10,11,12]. This has resulted in multiple designations and various classification systems, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) classification and the Wargotz and Norris classification [1, 11]
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