Breast lymphoma
Updates to Article Attributes
Breast lymphoma refers to involvement of the breast with lymphoma and may be primary or secondary.
Epidemiology
Both primary and secondary breast lymphoma are rare accounting for ~ 0.5% (range 0.3-1.1%) of allbreast malignancies.
Clinical presentation
Breast lymphoma may present either as a palpable mass or as diffuse thickening of the breast. Axillary lymph nodes are often enlarged.
Pathology
Primary breast lymphoma
Primary lymphoma is is less common than secondary lymphoma, and is typically a B cell type ofnon-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the breast represents only ~ 0.25% (range 0 0.12-0.53%) of all reported malignant breast tumors.
For a tumour to be labeled as a primary breast lymphoma it is required to fulfill the following criteria 5:
- disease should be in the breast or in close proximity to breast tissue
- no evidence of widespread disease should be there
- no previous history of lymphoma
- ipsilateral lymph nodes may be involved if developing simultaneously with primary breast tumor
Secondary breast lymphoma
Secondary lymphoma of the breast, is also more frequently NHL than Hodgkin lymphoma.
Radiographic features
There is no single imaging finding diagnostic of lymphoma. Biopsy is typically required for diagnosis. Enlarged intramammary lymph nodes may be seen, but these are nonspecific.
Mammography
It can have variable mammographic appearances but usually it manifests as a mass or with diffuse marked increase in parenchymal density (often can be bilateral).
Ultrasound
The sonographic appearance is most often that of a solid hypoechoic mass, which is again nonspecific.
Both radiologic and clinical appearance are similar to carcinoma and therefore the differential diagnosis is difficult. Microcalcifications are not a usual feature in lymphoma.
MRI
Content pendingT1 C+: inhomogeneous enhancement.
Kinetic shows rapid enhancement and plateau.
10Differential diagnosis
Mammographic findings are nonspecific and the following should be considered 9:
-<p><strong>Breast lymphoma</strong> refers to involvement of the <a href="/articles/breast">breast</a> with <a href="/articles/lymphoma">lymphoma</a> and may be <strong>primary</strong> or <strong>secondary</strong>.</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>Both primary and secondary breast lymphoma are rare accounting for ~ 0.5% (range 0.3-1.1%) of all <a href="/articles/breast-neoplasms">breast malignancies</a>.</p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Breast lymphoma may present either as a palpable mass or as diffuse thickening of the breast. <a href="/articles/axillary-nodes">Axillary lymph nodes</a> are often enlarged.</p><h4>Pathology</h4><h5>Primary breast lymphoma</h5><p>Primary lymphoma is less common than secondary lymphoma, and is typically a B cell type of <a href="/articles/non-hodgkin-lymphoma">non-Hodgkin's lymphoma</a> (NHL). Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the breast represents only ~ 0.25% (range 0.12-0.53%) of all reported malignant breast tumors.</p><p>For a tumour to be labeled as a primary breast lymphoma it is required to fulfill the following criteria <sup>5</sup>:</p><ul>- +<p><strong>Breast lymphoma</strong> refers to involvement of the <a href="/articles/breast">breast</a> with <a href="/articles/lymphoma">lymphoma</a> and may be <strong>primary</strong> or <strong>secondary</strong>.</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>Both primary and secondary breast lymphoma are rare accounting for ~ 0.5% (range 0.3-1.1%) of all <a href="/articles/breast-neoplasms">breast malignancies</a>.</p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Breast lymphoma may present either as a palpable mass or as diffuse thickening of the breast. <a href="/articles/axillary-nodes">Axillary lymph nodes</a> are often enlarged.</p><h4>Pathology</h4><h5>Primary breast lymphoma</h5><p>Primary lymphoma is less common than secondary lymphoma, and is typically a B cell type of <a href="/articles/non-hodgkin-lymphoma">non-Hodgkin's lymphoma</a> (NHL). Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the breast represents only ~ 0.25% (range 0.12-0.53%) of all reported malignant breast tumors.</p><p>For a tumour to be labeled as a primary breast lymphoma it is required to fulfill the following criteria <sup>5</sup>:</p><ul>
-</ul><h5>Secondary breast lymphoma</h5><p><a href="/articles/secondary-lymphoma-of-the-breast">Secondary lymphoma of the breast</a>, is also more frequently NHL than <a href="/articles/hodgkin-s-lymphoma">Hodgkin lymphoma</a>.</p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><p>There is no single imaging finding diagnostic of lymphoma. Biopsy is typically required for diagnosis. Enlarged <a href="/articles/intramammary-lymph-nodes">intramammary lymph nodes</a> may be seen, but these are nonspecific.</p><h5>Mammography</h5><p>It can have variable mammographic appearances but usually it manifests as a mass or with diffuse marked increase in parenchymal density (often can be bilateral).</p><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>The sonographic appearance is most often that of a solid hypoechoic mass, which is again nonspecific.</p><p>Both radiologic and clinical appearance are similar to carcinoma and therefore the differential diagnosis is difficult. Microcalcifications are not a usual feature in lymphoma.</p><h5>MRI</h5><ul><li><em>Content pending. </em></li></ul><h4><strong style="font-size:1.5em; font-weight:bold; line-height:1em">Differential diagnosis</strong></h4><p>Mammographic findings are nonspecific and the following should be considered <sup>9</sup>:</p><ul>- +</ul><h5>Secondary breast lymphoma</h5><p><a href="/articles/secondary-lymphoma-of-the-breast">Secondary lymphoma of the breast</a>, is also more frequently NHL than <a href="/articles/hodgkin-s-lymphoma">Hodgkin lymphoma</a>.</p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><p>There is no single imaging finding diagnostic of lymphoma. Biopsy is typically required for diagnosis. Enlarged <a href="/articles/intramammary-lymph-nodes">intramammary lymph nodes</a> may be seen, but these are nonspecific.</p><h5>Mammography</h5><p>It can have variable mammographic appearances but usually it manifests as a mass or with diffuse marked increase in parenchymal density (often can be bilateral).</p><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>The sonographic appearance is most often that of a solid hypoechoic mass, which is again nonspecific.</p><p>Both radiologic and clinical appearance are similar to carcinoma and therefore the differential diagnosis is difficult. Microcalcifications are not a usual feature in lymphoma.</p><h5>MRI</h5><p>T1 C+: inhomogeneous enhancement.</p><p>Kinetic shows rapid enhancement and plateau. 10</p><p><strong style="font-size:1.5em">Differential diagnosis</strong></p><p>Mammographic findings are nonspecific and the following should be considered <sup>9</sup>:</p><ul>
References changed:
- 10. Shim E, Song SE, Seo BK, Kim Y-S, Son GS. Lymphoma Affecting the Breast: A Pictorial Review of Multimodal Imaging Findings. J Breast Cancer. 2013;16(3):254–12. doi:10.4048/jbc.2013.16.3.254.
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