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Intracystic (encysted) papillary carcinoma of breast

Case contributed by Giorgio M. Baratelli
Diagnosis certain

Patient Data

Age: 95 years
Gender: Female

The ultrasound shows a 35 mm complex cyst with:

  • posterior acoustic enhancement
  • low-level internal echoes (intracystic debris)
  • an ovoid hyperechoic nodule (10 x 5 mm) on inner wall, projecting into the cystic lumen.

Case Discussion

In the operating theater the lesion was partially aspirated (hemorrhagic fluid) to prevent an accidental rupture and then it was completely removed under local anesthesia.

Final pathological  diagnosis: intracystic papillary carcinoma, with  positive estrogen and progesterone receptors , negative HER-2-neu receptor and a Ki-67 index of 8%.

The intracystic (encysted) papillary carcinoma is a rare carcinoma with incidence of 0.5% to 1% of all breast cancers, usually seen in elderly women.

It is considered as an in situ or minimally invasive neoplasm.

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