23-Year-Old Female with an Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumour of the Breast: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the breast: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Few reports of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the breast have been published worldwide. Furthermore, primary anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive IMT of the breast is extremely rare. To date, only six patients with ALK-positive IMT have been reported in the literature.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 52-year-old woman underwent a medical examination, and a left breast mass was detected. She did not feel a mass in her chest. Mammography showed a focal asymmetric density at the lower outer portion of the left breast. Breast ultrasonography showed a 1.2-cm hypoechoic lesion with relatively clear boundaries and poor blood flow. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed a solitary heterogeneous mass in the left breast. Pathologic examination revealed a fibrosing lesion with proliferation of fibroblastic cells arranged in a storiform pattern and admixed inflammatory cells. Immunohistochemical examination showed that the tumor cells were positive for ALK. Under the preoperative diagnosis of IMT, we performed partial mastectomy with adequate margins. The postoperative diagnosis was pathologically confirmed as IMT. Immunohistochemical staining also showed overexpression of ALK-1 in the tumor. The patient had a good clinical course for 24 months postoperatively, without recurrence or metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

IMT of the breast shows nonspecific imaging findings, making preoperative diagnosis difficult. Nevertheless, IMT has the characteristics of low-grade neoplasms with recurrence, invasion, and metastatic potential. Our report emphasizes the importance of determining a treatment plan as soon as possible based on an accurate diagnosis to improve the prognosis of this disease.

Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumour of the Sinonasal Tract with Orbital and Intracranial Extensions Simulating a Malignancy: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumour (IMT) is a rare pathology of unknown etiology. It is pathologically benign, but clinically locally invasive. We are herewith reporting a unique case of rapidly growing sinonasal IMT with orbital and intracranial extensions in a middle aged female patient masquerading as a malignancy. The lesion was excised endoscopically with margins and the patient is presently under close follow up. The report also reviews the common sites of involvement and management options available, based on a literature review.

Clinicopathological Features of Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor in the Breast

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a mesenchymal spindle cell tumour with low malignant potential which is extremely rare in breasts. Because of the lack of typical imaging and clinical characteristics of IMT, it is easy to misdiagnose before operation. We now report a case of a 37-year-old woman presenting with a mass in her left breast. Ultrasound showed a well-circumscribed lesion in the lower outer quadrant. The patient underwent lumpectomy, and histopathology revealed a tumor which was composed of fusiform cells and inflammatory cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed tumor cells are positive for vimentin, ALK, BCL2, and SMA. The FISH test demonstrated ALK (2p23) chromosomal translocation (ALK positive). The final diagnosis of breast IMT was rendered with nonclassical morphology. Postoperative 30-month follow-up no evidence showed residual tumor or recurrence. As a very rare tumor, breast IMT could be easily misdiagnosed clinically and pathologically. Complete surgical resection of the tumor is preferred, and it has the risk of recurrence and metastasis.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor after breast prosthesis: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are defined as tumors composed of differentiated myofibroblastic spindle cells, usually accompanied by numerous plasma cells and lymphocytes, and classified as intermediate (occasionally metastatic) by the World Health Organization. Its pathogenesis and biological behavior have not yet been elucidated. Breast IMT is extremely rare, and prosthesis implantation combined with IMT has not been reported. This study reports a case of IMT following resection of a malignant phyllodes tumor of the left breast and implantation of a prosthesis.

CASE SUMMARY

A 41-year-old female presented to our hospital with a mass in the left breast for 3 mo. The patient had undergone resection of a large mass in her left breast pathologically diagnosed as a malignant phyllodes tumor and implantation of a prosthesis five years prior. Ultrasonic examination revealed an oval mass in the left breast, and the patient underwent left breast mass resection and prosthesis removal. Light microscopy revealed the spindle cells to be diffusely proliferated, with a large number of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and plasma cell infiltration. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the spindle cells were partially positive for smooth muscle actin, which is positive for BCL-2 and cluster of differentiation (CD) 99 but were negative for anaplastic lymphoma kinase, cytokeratin, S-100 protein, desmin, and CD34. The final diagnosis was IMT. No recurrence or metastasis was observed during the 5-year postoperative follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Prosthesis implantation may be one of the causes of IMT, but further investigation is necessary to prove it.

Colonic inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour presenting as 'pyrexia of unknown origin': report of a rare disease and its unique presentation

An intra-abdominal inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) belongs to a rare group of diseases initially described as an inflammatory pseudotumour. Even though it is seen more often in children, its incidence in adults is even rarer. Clinical presentations can vary depending on its site and inherent tumour properties. The colon is an uncommon site for IMT and pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) as its dominant clinical presentation is even rarer. A 27-year-old woman presented with PUO. She was evaluated under the department of internal medicine before undergoing an 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan. This showed an intensely enhancing descending colon mass. An image-guided biopsy of this lesion was reported as IMT. She underwent a left hemicolectomy and complete excision of the tumour, following which her symptoms resolved completely. The patient has been disease-free at a 6-month follow-up and is asymptomatic at 1 year.

Practical approach to diagnosis of bland-looking spindle cell lesions of the breast

The diagnosis of bland-looking spindle cell lesions of the breast is often challenging because there is a close morphological and immunohistochemical overlap among the different entities. The present review will discuss reactive spindle cell nodule/exuberant scar, nodular fasciitis, inflammatory pseudotumor, myofibroblastoma (classic type), lipomatous myofibroblastoma, palisaded myofibroblastoma, benign fibroblastic spindle cell tumor, spindle cell lipoma, fibroma, leiomyoma, solitary fibrous tumor, myxoma, schwannoma/neurofibroma, desmoid-type fibromatosis, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, low-grade fibromatosis-like spindle cell carcinoma, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor and low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma arising in the breast parenchyma. The pathologist should be aware of each single lesion to achieve a correct diagnosis to ensure patient a correct prognostic information and therapy. Accordingly representative illustrations and morphological/immunohistochemical diagnostic clues will be provided.

Imaging findings of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in breast: A case report

RATIONALE

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs), particularly breast IMTs, are rare neoplastic lesions typically associated with a favorable prognosis. Breast IMTs are easily misdiagnosed as other types of malignant lesions, and therefore there is a significant unmet need for a better preoperational differential diagnosis based on imaging manifestations. Here, we report the imaging findings of a breast IMT and compare our findings with previously published features of breast IMTs.

PATIENT CONCERNS

The patient, a 43-year-old female, reported the presence of a palpable lump within her left breast. An ultrasound examination revealed an irregular hypoechoic mass with unclear boundaries. Mammography demonstrated a mass of heterogeneous and striped density with granular calcification. Magnetic resonance image (MRI) inspection displayed an irregular tissue lump with an undistinguishable boundary and a further dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI disclosed an associated efflux change.

DIAGNOSES

Breast inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors.

INTERVENTIONS

Breast needle biopsy and mammary resection were performed. Pathological staining of the bulk resected tumor after preoperative preparation revealed that the tumor-like tissue was enriched for spindle cells arranged in fascicular clusters. Histopathological diagnosis and immunohistochemistry confirmed the mass as being a breast IMT.

OUTCOMES

No metastatic recurrence was found during 6-month or 1-year follow-ups.

LESSONS

Breast IMTs commonly develop in elderly women with atypical imaging features. They are primarily composed of lobular soft tissues infiltrated with an abundant focal blood supply and granular calcification. Development of breast IMTs is closely related to trauma. A preliminary diagnosis of such masses can be made based on combined manifestations of both clinical and imaging features, while a final confirmation still requires pathological staining. Imaging examinations are of value for such tumors to define the lesion edges and their associations with adjacent tissues.

[Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the breast: A rare entity]

Also known as inflammatory pseudotumor, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor is now considered a true low-grade neoplasm. Although the lung is the most common site, it has been described in many other locations, including the breast; the first report of breast involvement was by Pettinato et al. in 1988. We report the case of a 52-year-old perimenopausal woman presenting with a slow-growing mass in her right breast. Mammography revealed a well demarcated lesion which was hypoechoic on ultrasound. A needle biopsy was performed yielding an initial diagnosis of myofibroma and the mass was resected. Histopathology of the 5-cm tumor revealed a fusocellular proliferation with a striking presence of inflammatory cells, morphologically and immunohistochemically concordant with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. The patient underwent further surgery to ensure free margins and after a negative extension study (PET-CT) is receiving no further therapy. To date, she has shown no signs of recurrence 8 months postoperatively. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the breast is very infrequent, with less than 30 reported cases. Differential diagnosis with both benign and malignant entities is extensive and it may precede or coexist with carcinoma of the adjacent breast. Although it is considered a low-malignant potential lesion, there are well documented cases of recurrence and even metastasis. Surgical resection with wide margins is the primary treatment and no systemic therapy is indicated; however, clinical follow-up is mandatory as there are no well-established criteria as yet to predict the biological behavior of this tumor.

Mesenchymal Lesions of the Breast: What Radiologists Need to Know

OBJECTIVE

Mesenchymal breast tumors originate from the various components of mammary stroma. The aim of this review is to discuss the clinical presentation, imaging appearance, and management of mesenchymal breast lesions.

CONCLUSION

Although many mesenchymal tumors exhibit characteristic findings on imaging, others show nonspecific characteristics and require tissue biopsy for diagnosis. An awareness of the clinical and imaging presentation is essential in guiding the differential diagnosis and patient management.

The Clinical and Radiological Characteristics of Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor Occurring at Unusual Sites

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) can occur rarely in the soft tissue or joint of the limb. We retrospectively collected IMT cases of these rare sites and analyzed their clinical and imaging appearance. Thirteen cases of IMT were clinically diagnosed and underwent surgical procedures, pathological analyses, and postsurgical follow-up in our two hospitals. Other than one case of IMT of the bladder wall that presented with gross hematuria, none presented with local swelling, fever, or weakness. All the cases of IMT occurring at the bone showed destruction and parosteal soft tissue masses. The boundaries between the mass and normal bone were vague, without calcifications or any periosteal reaction. Five cases of IMF showed continuous enhancement on CT; seven cases demonstrated iso- or hyposignal intensity on T1WI; one case showed hypersignal intensity on T1WI, and eight cases demonstrated a hypersignal intensity signal on T2WI. All the masses located in soft tissues showed clear and sharp boundaries with different sizes of the swelling regions surrounding muscle interspaces. Three cases showed homogeneous enhancement, one case demonstrated heterogeneous enhancement, and two cases showed edge enhancement on enhanced MRI scans. On pathology, all the lesions showed an absence of a pseudocapsule, and four cases of ALK were positive. The radiological manifestations of IMT located at the soft tissue and bones were similar to benign tumors in shape; however, peritumoral edema, parosteal soft tissue, and the invasive rim of IMT are similar to the features of malignant tumors. Different radiological methods should be used to obtain an accurate diagnosis.

Differential Diagnosis of Benign Spindle Cell Lesions

Spindle cell lesions of the breast cover a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from reactive tumor-like lesions to high-grade malignant tumors. The recognition of the benign spindle cell tumor-like lesions (nodular fasciitis; reactive spindle cell nodule after biopsy, inflammatory pseudotumor/inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor; fascicular variant of pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia) and tumors (myofibroblastoma, benign fibroblastic spindle cell tumor, leiomyoma, schwannoma, spindle cell lipoma, solitary fibrous tumor, myxoma) is crucial to avoid confusion with morphologically similar but more aggressive bland-appearing spindle cell tumors, such as desmoid-type fibromatosis, low-grade (fibromatosis-like) spindle cell carcinoma, low-grade fibrosarcoma/myofibroblastic sarcoma and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors of the breast with simultaneous intracranial, lung, and pancreas involvement: ultrasonographic findings and a review of the literature

We encountered a case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the breast with simultaneous intracranial, lung, and pancreas involvement. Here, we present the clinical imaging results and report the significance of sonographic findings of breast IMT along with a review of the literature. A 16-year-old girl with a history of subarachnoidal hemorrhage was admitted to our hospital due to tonic-clonic seizure. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple intracranial, lung, and pancreas mass lesions and a solitary mass lesion in the right breast. Breast ultrasonography showed a circumscribed oval-shaped hypoechoic mass with a central hyperechoic region. Power Doppler sonography revealed an unusual spiral-shaped flow signal. Breast tumorectomy was performed for definitive diagnosis, and pathological analysis indicated IMT. A literature review indicated that ultrasonographic findings of IMT of the breast are nonspecific, as in other systems or organs. It would be difficult to make a diagnosis of IMT of the breast preoperatively due to its rarity and the lack of specificity of clinical imaging findings. In addition, it is better to consider the possibility of IMT of the breast especially in younger patients without an obvious family history of hereditary breast cancer.

Clinico-radiological and Pathological Characteristics of Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumors in Children: A Retrospective Study

Purpose

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are rare, benign lesions most often seen in the lung of young adults but can occur in children, in various sites. They mimic, clinically and radiologically, malignant tumors - especially sarcomas and lymphomas. The aim was to review the clinical, radiological, and pathological data of children with a diagnosis of IMT referred to our department.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India from January 2014 to December 2015.

Results

Among 288 pediatric tumors registered during the study, 5 (1.73%) had the diagnosis of IMTs. The main symptoms were abdominal distension and pain in 60% (three cases), breathlessness and cough in 20% (one case), and right axillary area swelling in 20% (one case). In three patients, complete surgical excision was done, whereas another patient with retroperitoneal mass had the residual disease and received chemotherapy followed by complete second surgery. In the case of mediastinal IMT, surgery was followed by local radiotherapy. At present, four patients are disease-free and one patient with mediastinal IMT has the residual progressive disease.

Conclusion

On presentation, IMT can constitute a formidable challenge, from diagnosis through to treatment.

Primary Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumors of the Breast with Metastasis: Radiographic and Histopathologic Predictive Factors

Primary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) of the breast are uncommon and metastasis of IMTs is extremely rare. To date, the natural course of this disease is not fully understood. Although patients with IMTs should undergo regular follow-up after complete surgical resection of the tumor, the appropriate interval and method of follow-up are unclear. We report the case of a patient with an IMT of the breast that metastasized 2 years after complete surgical resection. This unusual case emphasizes the importance of preoperative examinations to determine whether the IMT has atypical features that should guide the interval and method of follow-up.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the breast

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) of the breast represent extremely rare lesions. Due to the scarcity of reports, their natural history, recurrence, and metastatic potential remain poorly defined. We report on a case of a primary breast IMT in a postmenopausal female patient treated successfully with breast conserving surgery and review the literature pertaining to this rare entity.

Inoperable inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of the para-nasal sinuses and orbit with recurrence responding to methotrexate and prednisolone: a case report

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour is a rare neoplasm with a potential to behave in a malignant manner. It can occur anywhere in the body, however involvement of the head, especially the para-nasal sinuses is rare.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 33-year-old South Asian male presented with coryzal symptoms including a persistent cough with an asymmetrical swelling of the left side of the face. Imaging revealed a mass lesion involving the para-nasal sinuses eroding into the orbit. Histology and the clinical picture were compatible with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour. As curative excision of the tumour was not feasible, medical management was offered. Despite early features of remission to glucocorticoids, tapering resulted in recurrence. Hence combination therapy with glucocorticoids and methotrexate was commenced with dramatic reduction of tumour burden and the patient has been in remission to date.

CONCLUSION

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour has the potential to behave in a malignant manner. Medical management with chemotherapy, glucocorticoids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs though effective, do not have a uniform response pattern. Surgically unresectable inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour above neck should be treated aggressively with combination regimens. Combination of prednisolone with methotrexate has been shown to have good outcome.