Dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MR imaging in men: preliminary results

Axillary skin lesion: A rare presentation of metastatic male breast cancer

Male breast cancer is an uncommon condition, accounting for less than 1% of all breast carcinomas and under 1.5% of all malignant tumors in men. Skin lesions can often be the initial reason for consultation. At this advanced stage, diagnosis is typically delayed, leading to a poor prognosis. Herein, we report the case of a 66-year-old man who presented with a dermo-epidermal axillary mass, indicative of cutaneous metastasis from an invasive ductal carcinoma.

Angiolipoma an Uncommon Breast Mass in Men: A Case Series

Angiolipomas are uncommon benign masses of the breast which are rarely described in the male breast. They do not have a typical mammographic appearance and can present with concerning features such as microcalcifications or irregular borders. Ultrasound is helpful in evaluating these masses most commonly appearing as oval, circumscribed, and hyperechoic. Clinical, radiological, and pathological information needs to be carefully evaluated as angiolipomas can be confused with malignant pathology. Three cases of angiolipomas of the male breast are reported in this study with mammographic, sonographic, and pathologic correlation.

Is Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging Superior to Sonography in Gynecomastia Evaluation and Surgery Planning

BACKGROUND

Data on the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the preoperative evaluation and surgery planning of gynecomastia are limited. The purpose of this study is to reveal MRI features and categories of gynecomastia and compare surgical outcomes following MRI and sonography as well as their diagnostic accuracy.

METHODS

The area of the gland and the whole breast on the transverse plane via nipple of MRI were measured to calculate the ratio between them. Areola, mass and branch patterns were categorized to represent three different gynecomastia type on MRI. 183 patients were included, with 38 in MRI group and 145 in sonography group. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by the level of agreement between preoperative imaging findings and intraoperative observations. Surgical data, patients' satisfaction and complications were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

MRI in 75 gynecomastic breasts demonstrated the average ratio of the gland to the whole breast was 10.6%±13.3%. The most common MRI categories were branch patterns (45.3%). The diagnostic concordance rate of MRI was higher than sonography (100% vs. 86.8%, p = 0.001). Among those junior surgeons, the length of surgery was reduced in MRI group (100 min vs. 115 min, p = 0.048). There was no difference in terms of patient's satisfaction and complication rate between MRI and sonography.

CONCLUSION

MRI was superior to sonography in diagnostic accuracy to assess the tissue components of gynecomastia and provided informative guidance especially for junior surgeons. Surgical outcomes were comparable regardless of the use of MRI or sonography for evaluation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

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Case report of male breast cancer detected on magnetic resonance imaging

Male breast cancers (MBC) are rare, accounting for <1% of all breast cancers. The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for male breast cancer is not generally indicated. We present an unusual case where conventional imaging for a suspected MBC was equivocal and MRI was required to assist in diagnosis.

Real time dynamic imaging and current targeted therapies in the war on cancer: a new paradigm

In biology, as every science student is made to learn, ontology recapitulates phylogeny. In medicine, however, oncology recapitulates polemology, the science of warfare: The medical establishment is transitioning from highly toxic poisons that kill rapidly dividing normal and malignant cells with little specificity to tailored therapies that target the tumors with the lethality of the therapeutic warhead. From the advent of the information age with the incorporation of high-tech intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance has resulted in "data fusion" where a wide range of information collected in near real-time can be used to redesign most of the treatment strategies currently used in the clinic. The medical community has begun to transition from the 'black box' of tumor therapy based solely on the clinical response to the 'glass box' of dynamic imaging designed to bring transparency to the clinical battlefield during treatment, thereby informing the therapeutic decision to 'retreat or repeat'. The tumor microenvironment is dynamic, constantly changing in response to therapeutic intervention, and therefore the therapeutic assessment must map to this variable and ever-changing landscape with dynamic and non-static imaging capabilities. The path to personalized medicine will require incorporation and integration of dynamic imaging at the bedside into clinical practice for real-time, interactive assessment of response to targeted therapies. The application of advanced real time imaging techniques along with current molecularly targeted anticancer therapies which alter cellular homeostasis and microenvironment can enhance therapeutic interventions in cancer patients and further improve the current status in clinical management of patients with advanced cancers.

Pathologies of the male breast

The majority of breast lesions in men are benign. Gynaecomastia is a very common condition in which hormonal changes cause male breasts to enlarge. Three radiological patterns of gynaecomastia have been described: nodular, dendritic, and diffuse glandular pattern. The main differential diagnosis is lipomastia, which is when adipose tissue deposits are found in the subcutaneous tissue. Male breast cancer is rare. The main risk factors are pathologies that cause hormonal imbalances, a history of chest irradiation, and a family history of breast cancer (particularly in families carrying a mutation of the gene BRCA2). Mammography usually shows a mass with no calcifications. Sonography is useful to investigate local disease spread, and for detecting any enlarged axillary lymph nodes. MRI is not currently indicated to investigate male breast cancer. Very often, the clinical examination alone is enough to distinguish benign lesions from malignant lesions. Imaging must not be automatically carried out, but rather it should be used when the diagnosis is clinically uncertain or when patients present risk factors for breast cancer, as well as for guiding biopsies and for assessing disease spread.

A case report: lobular carcinoma in situ in a male patient with subsequent invasive ductal carcinoma identified on screening breast MRI

Lobular carcinoma in situ is a form of in situ neoplasia that develops within the terminal lobules of the breast. It is an extremely rare finding in males due to the lack of lobular development in the male breast. The authors herein report an unusual case of incidentally discovered lobular carcinoma in situ in a male patient with recurrent bilateral gynecomastia who was subsequently diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast. The pathology of lobular carcinoma in situ in a male as well as screening MRI surveillance of male patients at high risk for breast cancer are discussed, emphasizing the importance of screening and imaging follow up in men who are at high risk for breast cancer.

Granular cell tumor of the male breast: two case descriptions and brief review of the literature

A granular cell tumor of breast is a rare and usually benign tumor originating from Schwann cells. The mammographic and sonographic appearances of a granular cell tumor pose a diagnostic dilemma because of its similarity to breast malignancy. We describe 2 cases of breast granular cell tumors in male patients, which were confirmed after surgical excision and histologic examination.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast: recommendations from the EUSOMA working group

The use of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is rapidly increasing. EUSOMA organised a workshop in Milan on 20-21st October 2008 to evaluate the evidence currently available on clinical value and indications for breast MRI. Twenty-three experts from the disciplines involved in breast disease management - including epidemiologists, geneticists, oncologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, and surgeons - discussed the evidence for the use of this technology in plenary and focused sessions. This paper presents the consensus reached by this working group. General recommendations, technical requirements, methodology, and interpretation were firstly considered. For the following ten indications, an overview of the evidence, a list of recommendations, and a number of research issues were defined: staging before treatment planning; screening of high-risk women; evaluation of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy; patients with breast augmentation or reconstruction; occult primary breast cancer; breast cancer recurrence; nipple discharge; characterisation of equivocal findings at conventional imaging; inflammatory breast cancer; and male breast. The working group strongly suggests that all breast cancer specialists cooperate for an optimal clinical use of this emerging technology and for future research, focusing on patient outcome as primary end-point.

Angiolipoma of the Breast in a Male

Objective: Angiolipoma is an unusual variant of lipoma involving subcutaneous tissues on trunk and extremities. This tumor is rarely described in the breast and particularly in breast male.

Case report: We report here the case of angiolipoma of the breast in a 55-year-old man complained of tenderness in the left breast. Ultrasonography showed a homogenously, well circumscribed, hyperechoic mass in the internal quadran of breast. The surgically resected tumor showed mature fat cells separated by proliferating branched vessels and intravascular hyaline thrombi.

Conclusion: The existence of angiolipoma of the breast in the male must not to be forgotten because this tumor may be confused clinically, radiologically and pathologically with a malignant tumor.

A Clinicopathological Evaluation of Male Patients with Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

Although male breast cancer constitutes only 1% of all breast cancers, its incidence is increasing and it is becoming an important public health issue. The present study aims to present the clinicopathological characteristics of surgically treated male breast cancer patients from multiple centers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-one male patients operated on for breast cancer were retrospectively examined in terms of clinical presentation, pathological characteristics, TNM staging status, and type of surgical treatment.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 21 patients was 62.3 years (range 38-94), with the majority being in the range of 50-69 years (61.9%). The most frequent finding was breast mass (85.7%). Most patients underwent modified radical mastectomy (76.1%), and the most prevalent histological type was invasive ductal carcinoma (85.7%). The majority of patients had stage II or III disease, and estrogen receptors were positive in 18 (85.7%) of the patients.

CONCLUSION

Since male breast cancer is a rare condition, it is challenging to conduct prospective randomized trials. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive data on the diagnosis and management of this condition. Thus, further studies and the implementation of specific guidelines or protocols for this subgroup of patients will aid better management.

A Clinicopathological Evaluation of Male Patients with Breast Cancer

Background

Although male breast cancer constitutes only 1% of all breast cancers, its incidence is increasing and it is becoming an important public health issue. The present study aims to present the clinicopathological characteristics of surgically treated male breast cancer patients from multiple centers.

Patients and Methods

Twenty-one male patients operated on for breast cancer were retrospectively examined in terms of clinical presentation, pathological characteristics, TNM staging status, and type of surgical treatment.

Results

The mean age of the 21 patients was 62.3 years (range 38-94), with the majority being in the range of 50-69 years (61.9%). The most frequent finding was breast mass (85.7%). Most patients underwent modified radical mastectomy (76.1%), and the most prevalent histological type was invasive ductal carcinoma (85.7%). The majority of patients had stage II or III disease, and estrogen receptors were positive in 18 (85.7%) of the patients.

Conclusion

Since male breast cancer is a rare condition, it is challenging to conduct prospective randomized trials. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive data on the diagnosis and management of this condition. Thus, further studies and the implementation of specific guidelines or protocols for this subgroup of patients will aid better management.

Angle between 1 and 4 min gives the most significant difference in time-intensity curves between benign disease and breast cancer: analysis of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in 103 patients with breast lesions

The aim of the present study was to clarify the morphologic characteristics of time-intensity curves (TICs) that are useful for distinguishing benign from malignant lesions. One hundred three patients with breast lesions underwent dynamic breast MRI. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUC) from every component of TIC were compared between benign and malignant disease. As a result, angle of cross line between 1 and 4 min is more useful than rapid enhancement for distinguishing benign from malignant lesions.

Male Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a rare disease in men representing nearly 1% of the total breast cancer cases worldwide. Due to the low incidence, there are no randomized clinical studies giving information on the optimal diagnostics and therapy for male breast cancer patients. Therefore, treatment recommendations are derived from established guidelines for breast cancer in women. However, the lack of awareness of this disease leads to its detection at a later stage in men associated with a worse prognostic outcome. The gender-specific differences in breast cancer are among others related to the differing genetic and hormonal environment and the anatomic constitution in men. For example, males have a much higher percentage of hormone receptor-positive tumors but a significantly lower fraction of carcinomas overexpressing HER2. This review focuses on epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical findings of male breast cancer, and discusses current findings available to treat this disease. To optimize disease outcome and tolerability of treatment, these data should be considered to improve the therapeutic index of male breast cancer patients.

Rectal angiolipoma: A case report and review of literature

Angiolipoma is a rare vascular variant of the benign lipomatous tumors and is generally seen in subcutaneous tissues. We report a 70-year-old female with abdominal distension not related to rectal small polypoid mass with peduncule described as angiolipoma by histologically, and review the literature.