Rapidly growing nodular pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia of the breast in an 18-year-old girl. Case report

Treatment of Pseudoangiomatous Stromal Hyperplasia of the Breast: Literature Review and Successful Management of a Teenage Girl by Breast Reduction With 10-Year Follow-up

ABSTRACT

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia is an uncommon benign condition of mesenchymal proliferation. Fewer than 1500 cases have been reported in previous literature. It is observed most commonly in postmenopausal and perimenopausal women and is extremely rare to present in children. Recommended treatment in severe cases is often mastectomy due to high incidence of recurrence. However, a careful review of the literature suggests that treatment of this benign disease should be tailored to the mode in which it presents. This case report describes a 16-year-old girl with a severe case of bilateral pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia that was managed with reduction mammoplasty, along with a 10-year case follow-up. Based on a literature review of more than 2800 cases and the current case report, a conservative management strategy is suggested, depending on disease presentation.

An Uncommon Case of Bilateral Breast Enlargement Diagnosed as Tumoral Pseudoangiomatous Stromal Hyperplasia: Imaging and Pathological Findings

The incidence of reported pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH), as well as the variability and severity of clinical presentations, is increasing in the literature. In parallel, several authors posit the need for an improved classification of PASH to avoid possible variables associated with this diagnosis. Here, we present a 25-year-old woman with PASH accompanied by severe bilateral and symmetrical breasts enlargement, highlighting an uncommon clinical presentation of PASH as much as the careful interdisciplinary review and correlation of histology and all available imaging studies to confirm the definitive diagnosis.

Recurrent Bilateral Giant Fibroadenomas of the Breasts

We present a case of an 18-year-old woman with recurrent bilateral giant fibroadenomas that were evaluated by mammography and sonography with color Doppler. Imaging revealed solid lobulated masses with significant internal vascularity occupying most of each breast; this evaluation suggested a differential diagnosis of giant fibroadenoma versus phyllodes tumor. The unusual clinical story of recurrent bilateral lesions as reported by the patient, coupled with the findings on visualization of these lesions by mammography and ultrasound with color Doppler, led to the clinical decision to forego biopsy in favor of immediate bilateral surgical enucleation.

A case of a giant pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia of the breast: magnetic resonance imaging findings

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast is a benign myofibroblastic process. We present the case of a 17-year-old girl who underwent diagnostic work-up due to an enlargement of her left breast. She was submitted to ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which depicted a 14 cm lesion in her left breast. The patient was later operated and histology revealed PASH. Although PASH may range from 0.6–12 cm, a few lesions over 12 cm have been described, the largest being 20 cm. Large series present mammographic and ultrasonographic features of PASH in the literature, but little has been reported on the MR characteristics of PASH up to today. Signal on the T1-weighted image (T1WI) and T2-weighted image (T2WI) may vary. Curves generated from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) studies are mainly type I or less frequently type II. There are no reports about diffusion-weighted imaging and corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for PASH in the literature. ADC values in our case lie within the range of values reported for other benign breast lesions. The presence of slit-like spaces within the lesion on MR imaging along with DCE-MRI type I curve and ADC values consistent with a benign lesion may favour the diagnosis of PASH. Tissue biopsy is necessary, however for the final diagnosis. This case report will further contribute to the understanding of MR imaging features of PASH, especially in cases where mammography is not indicated.

[Nodular pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia of the breast in two adolescents]

Nodular pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia is a very rare benign breast lesion found in 0.4% of biopsies. It usually presents as a fast-growing palpable lesion in women between 30 and 40 years of age and is exceptionally rare in adolescents. Histological examination reveals a proliferation of stromal cells from connective tissue forming anastomosed empty pseudovascular spaces lined with myofibroblasts. We present the cases of two adolescents (13 and 18 years old) with fast-growing palpable breast nodules. Both underwent breast ultrasonography and core biopsy. The ultrasonographic findings of nodular pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia were indistinguishable from those reported for juvenile fibroadenoma and for phyllodes tumor. Thus, histological study was required for the definitive diagnosis. Treatment depends on the size of the nodule. In our two patients, the lesion was surgically excised through tumorectomy and mastectomy.

Myoid (Muscular) Hamartoma of the Breast: Case Report and Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND: Myoid (muscular) hamartoma (MH) of the breast is a rare benign tumour-forming lesion composed of differentiated mammary glandular and stromal structures, fatty tissue, and areas of smooth muscle. It is considered to be a variant of mammary hamartoma. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 46-year-old woman with MH, and provide a literature review explaining the origin of smooth muscle cells. Histologically, the tumour consisted of fibrolipomatous stroma containing ductal and lobular structures of the mammary gland located mainly at the tumour borders. The glandular structures showed signs of micro- and macrocystic changes, apocrine metaplasia, and adenosis. The dominant feature was the presence of a fascicular formation of spindle cells, predominantly in central parts, with incursion between glandular structures. Immunohistochemically, foci of smooth muscle tissue were positive for desmin, smooth muscle actin, and h-caldesmon. Oestrogen and progesterone receptors (PR) showed positive expression which was markedly higher for PR. There was negative expression of CD34, S-100 protein, and CD10. CONCLUSIONS: The origin of smooth muscle cells in MH is unknown. However, it is presumed to be derived from hormonally responsive breast stromal cells by smooth muscle metaplasia, based on evidence of hormone receptor expression in the lesion.

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia and breast cancer risk

BACKGROUND

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) is a benign localized fibrotic lesion in which clusters of spindle cells form cleftlike spaces, resembling ectatic vessels. Its relationship to breast cancer risk has not been characterized.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Histological presence of PASH was evaluated by review of archival slides in a single institution cohort of women who underwent benign excisional breast biopsy from 1967 to 1991. Relative risks for subsequent breast cancer were estimated using standardized incidence ratios (SIR), comparing the observed number of cancers with those expected based on Iowa SEER data (mean follow-up 18.5 years).

RESULTS

PASH was identified in 579 of 9065 biopsies (6.4%). Women with PASH were younger, more likely to have a palpable mass as indication for biopsy, and had less lobular involution compared with those without PASH (all P < 0.001), while they did not differ by family history of breast cancer or degree of epithelial proliferation. Breast cancers occurred in 34 women with PASH (5.9%) and 789 without (8.8%). Women with PASH had lower risk of breast cancer (SIR 1.03, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.71-1.44) than those without PASH (SIR 1.54, 95% CI 1.43-1.65), P = 0.01. Lower levels of breast cancer risk for the PASH group persisted in analyses stratified by age, family history, epithelial proliferation, and involution. The cancers in the PASH group occurred predominantly in the ipsilateral breast more than 5 years after biopsy.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite clinical concern generated by palpable density often associated with PASH, this relatively uncommon histological finding does not connote increased risk of subsequent breast cancer.

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast: intraductal appearance

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) is a benign proliferative lesion of breast stroma. The diagnosis of PASH can be made using imaging techniques such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance or mammography. Ductoscopy is a relatively new technique which is used for imaging the intraductal surface. We report a patient with PASH in whom ductoscopy was performed successfully.

Stromal myofibroblasts are drivers of invasive cancer growth

Tissue integrity is maintained by the stroma in physiology. In cancer, however, tissue invasion is driven by the stroma. Myofibroblasts and cancer-associated fibroblasts are important components of the tumor stroma. The origin of myofibroblasts remains controversial, although fibroblasts and bone marrow-derived precursors are considered to be the main progenitor cells. Myofibroblast reactions also occur in fibrosis. Therefore, we wonder whether nontumorous myofibroblasts have different characteristics and different origins as compared to tumor-associated myofibroblasts. The mutual interaction between cancer cells and myofibroblasts is dependent on multiple invasive growth-promoting factors, through direct cell-cell contacts and paracrine signals. Since fibrosis is a major side effect of radiotherapy, we address the question how the main methods of cancer management, including chemotherapy, hormonotherapy and surgery affect myofibroblasts and by inference the surrogate endpoints invasion and metastasis.

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast with foci of morphologic malignancy: a case of PASH with malignant transformation?

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) is a benign proliferation of the hormonally responsive, specialized mammary stroma characterized by slit-like pseudovascular spaces lined by bland spindle cells. It is usually an incidental microscopic finding but in some cases it may present as a slowly growing mass. A malignant counterpart for this lesion has not been reported. We describe a case of PASH with foci of malignant histologic features presenting as a slowly growing mass in a 30-year-old woman. The previously reported variants of PASH and the other mammary stromal lesions related to PASH are also discussed. This is perhaps the first case of PASH with foci of malignant histologic features reported in the literature and represents a rare sarcoma derived from specialized hormonally responsive mammary stroma.