Large encapsulated papillary carcinoma presenting as an arteriovenous malformation

Abstract

Encapsulated papillary carcinomas (EPCs) are a rare breast tumour that carry a good prognosis. They are typically 0.5-8.0 cm in size and commonly present with a painless mass and bloody nipple discharge. We present an 80-year-old female with a 15.0 cm EPC, the largest reported in literature, that presented with an expanding breast haematoma and a distant history of breast trauma. Anaemic symptoms post initial aspiration, previous arterial injury to the same breast and prominent feeding vessels to the mass seen on both imaging, and at time of mastectomy, raise the differential of underlying vascular malformation.