Nodular amyloidosis of the lung and the breast mimicking breast carcinoma with pulmonary metastasis

Abstract

Nodular amyloidosis of the breast and lung is a rare condition of unknown aetiology. The disease runs a benign course, but offers a diagnostic problem due to nonspecific histological features. We describe the case of a 56 year old woman with a 5 year history of multiple nodules of both lungs and left breast, clinically mimicking breast carcinoma with pulmonary metastasis. To our knowledge, this is the first case of cytologically proven amyloidosis diagnosed by ultrasound-guided percutaneous transthoracic fine-needle aspiration of pulmonary nodules.