Nipple-Invasive Primary Carcinomas: Clinical, Imaging, and Pathologic Features of Breast Carcinomas Originating in the Nipple

Nipple Lesions of the Breast: An Update on Morphologic Features, Immunohistochemical Findings and Differential Diagnosis

Because of the unique anatomic structure of the nipple, a few specific breast lesions occur only at this site. Large lactiferous sinuses may be involved by inflammatory conditions such as squamous metaplasia of lactiferous ducts and ductal ectasia or be the site of uncommon superficial epithelial neoplasms such as nipple adenoma or syringomatous tumor of the nipple. Paget disease of the nipple may be secondary to intraepidermal extension of ductal carcinoma in situ in the underlying lactiferous ducts or develop from malignant transformation of Toker cells. Invasive breast cancer may also arise primarily in the nipple. Most of these conditions present as a palpable mass and/or skin changes with or without nipple discharge. Due to the delicate location and often relatively small size of nipple lesions, biopsy specimens are often superficial and fragmented, and the interpretation is challenging. Knowledge of the morphologic and immunophenotypic features of nipple lesions is essential in making the correct diagnosis. Information on the molecular alterations underpinning nipple neoplasms is currently very limited.

The nipple-areolar complex: anatomy, methods and pathologic findings, between senologist and dermatologist

The purpose of this presentation is to show the ultrasonography findings of normal variants and benign and malignant diseases that affect the nipple-areolar complex. Many of which have unspecific clinical and radiological presentations that can present a challenge for medical specialists. Experienced specialists need to know the different imaging modalities used to study the nipple-areolar complex and the aspect not exactly senology, as well as dermatologist who approach the ultrasound must know the anatomy of this complex area. We will show you a combined clinical and radiological approach to evaluate the nipple-areolar complex, the findings for the normal morphology and the most common benign and malignant diseases that can affect this region. We discuss the characteristics of the different ultrasonography findings and provide guidance on how to avoid artifacts and pitfalls.

Treatment of Mammary Paget Disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of real-world data

BACKGROUND

Because the lesions of mammary Paget disease (MPD) are often limited to the nipple-areolar complex, the extension of optimal tumor excision is inconclusive. Moreover, the risk of potential tumor upstaging is unknown; therefore, the application of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is required for analysis. We systematically reviewed the real-world data to evaluate the optimal treatment and potential predictors of poorer prognosis for MPD.

METHODS

The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies. Clinical studies were included if they evaluated the outcome of positive rates of SLNB, prognostic risk factors of MPD, and survival outcomes of treatments of interest for MPD, including mastectomy, breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with radiotherapy, and BCS alone.

RESULTS

A total of 38 studies with 24,062 patients were retrieved. Compared with BCS alone (21.2%), mastectomy (5.9%; P < 0.001) and BCS with radiotherapy (8; P = 0.001) had significantly lower local recurrence rates. Patients with palpable tumors (30.2%) had significantly worse prognoses than those with impalpable (3.4%) tumors in metastasis (P < 0.001), and significantly higher local recurrence rates were observed in patients with underlying invasive carcinoma (6.7%) than those with noninvasive carcinoma (4.5%; P = 0.032). The positive rate of SLNB was 17% (95% CI: 0.115-0.226).

CONCLUSION

Except for MPD alone, BCS alone is not recommended for treating MPD with invasive ductal carcinoma and MPD with ductal carcinoma in situ. Moreover, a palpable mass, underlying invasive carcinoma, and positive lymph node status may lead to a poorer prognosis, which may be taken into consideration for the application of SLNB.

Nipple Adenoma: Correlation of Imaging Findings and Histopathology

Nipple adenomas (NAs) are benign neoplasms composed of papillary hyperplasia of the epithelium of the major lactiferous ducts. Patients with NA may report bloody nipple discharge and clinically may resemble Paget disease, raising concern for malignancy. Mammographically, NAs are often occult. US can show a hypervascular circumscribed mass centered within the nipple with varying echogenicity. Diagnosis is usually made on punch biopsy or excision, but breast radiologists should be aware of this entity. Malignancy can be found elsewhere in the ipsilateral or contralateral breast, or very rarely may directly extend to involve an NA, but published experience with concurrent malignancies is small. We describe the radiologic-pathologic correlation of NAs.

Pathological and imaging features of Paget's disease and nipple adenoma: a comparative study

BACKGROUND

Both Paget's disease (PD) and nipple adenoma (NA) are rare lesions occurred on nipple and share some similarities in clinical manifestations, but there are have different pathological manifestations and imaging findings. This study analyzed the clinicopathological and imaging features of PD in nipple and NA to improve our knowledge about these two diseases and to provide guidance for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

Retrospectively analyzed 99 female patients confirmed by surgery and pathology from January 2014 to December 2018. The features of imaging examination included 95 cases of breast ultrasound, 83 cases of breast X-ray and 24 cases of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were analyzed and compered the detection rate and diagnostic accuracy.

RESULTS

The 99 patients consisted of 76 patients with PD and 23 patients with NA. Despite the similarity of clinical manifestations between PD and NA, the pathological features of these diseases were completely different. Differences in various imaging manifestations were found to facilitate differential diagnosis. Breast X-ray and ultrasound can discover the nipple areola changes such as mass and calcification, but some cases still show negative. Breast MRI can clearly show the areola lesions of nipple PD and NA, accurately evaluate the degree and size of breast lesions, and help clinicians choose appropriate and personalized diagnosis and treatment methods.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of multiple breast imaging examinations (including X-ray, ultrasound, and MRI) can improve the diagnosis of PD and NA and play a guiding role in the options for clinical treatment.

Comparison of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings of Paget's Disease of the Breast and Malignant Tumor Invasion of the Nipple-Areola Complex

Objective

We aimed to investigate the distinction between Paget's disease of the breast (PDB) and malignant tumor invasion of nipple-areolar complex (MTION) with Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings without the need for skin punch biopsy.

Materials and Methods

MRI findings of 16 patients with pathologically proven PDB and 11 patients with pathologically proven MTION were reviewed retrospectively. MRI images were assessed for nipple morphological changes; areolar-periareolar skin changes; thickness, classification, and kinetic characteristics of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) enhancement; morphological pattern, size, and pathological diagnosis of concomitant malignant lesions; kinetic characteristics of the concomitant malignant lesions enhancement; continuity of enhancement between the nipple and closest concomitant malignant lesion; similarity of enhancement kinetics of the NAC and concomitant malignant lesions; and nipple-to-malignant lesion distance in both patient groups.

Results

Areolar-periareolar skin thickening was statistically different between the patient groups. Enhancement kinetic pattern was classified as persistent in four patients with MTION and plateau in seven patients with PDB. Moreover, NAC enhancement kinetic characteristics were statistically different between the groups. Invasive ductal carcinoma was detected in three patients with PDB and five patients with MTION. A statistically significant difference in malignant lesion pathological types was detected between the patient groups.

Conclusion

The significant MRI findings in patients with MTION diagnosed as invasive ductal carcinoma were areolar-periareolar skin thickening and asymmetric NAC enhancement with persistent kinetics pattern. In patients diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, a plateau pattern of asymmetric NAC enhancement without any areolar-periareolar skin changes on MRI may indicate PDB.

Nipple Ultrasound: A Pictorial Essay

Ultrasound (US) is an attractive diagnostic approach to identify both common and uncommon nipple pathologies, such as duct ectasia, nipple abscess, nipple leiomyoma, nipple adenoma, fibroepithelial polyp, ductal carcinoma in situ (restricted to nipple), invasive carcinoma, and Paget's disease. US is the reliable first-line imaging technique to assess nipple pathologies. It is useful to identify and characterize nipple lesions. Additionally, we have presented the mammography and MRI outcomes correlated with histopathologic features for the relevant cases.

Invasive Cancer Confined to the Nipple of the Conserved Breast: A Case Report

Invasive breast cancer deriving from the milk duct and lobule that develops in the nipple is extremely rare, except in Paget's disease and skin cancer. This is the second reported case of the development of invasive cancer confined to the nipple after breast-conserving surgery. A 69-year-old woman visited our department due to redness, swelling, and bloody discharge of the right nipple in the last month. A needle biopsy was suggestive of invasive ductal carcinoma; we performed a removal surgery of the right residual breast tissue and a second sentinel lymph node biopsy. She underwent these procedures 10 years previously as well. Thus, we diagnosed the present lesion as a local recurrence, but it was unknown whether the lesion was a true recurrence or second cancer, namely, metachronal ipsilateral breast cancer. The present case helps promote awareness that invasive cancer rarely develops in the nipple after conserving surgery. Patients should be encouraged to visit a medical facility if experiencing skin changes and swelling of the nipple. Additionally, breast cancer patients must be carefully selected for breast-conserving surgery; failure to do so may later result in nipple-specific local recurrence.

Development of an invasive ductal carcinoma in a contralateral composite nipple graft after an autologous breast reconstruction: a case report

BACKGROUND

Nipple-areola complex (NAC) reconstruction is a technique used in breast reconstructive surgery, which is performed during the final stage of breast reconstruction after total mastectomy of primary breast cancer. Composite nipple grafts utilizing the contralateral NAC are common; however, to our knowledge, there are no reports of new primary invasive ductal carcinoma development within the graft. Here, we describe one such case for the first time.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 54-year-old woman was referred to us by the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in our medical center for further evaluation of right nipple erosion. She had undergone total mastectomy of the right breast following a breast cancer diagnosis 15 years ago, at which time tumor biological profiling revealed the following: estrogen receptor (ER), positive; progesterone receptor (PgR), negative; and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), undetermined. She received adjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy. She defaulted endocrine therapy for a few years, and 7 years after surgery, she underwent autologous breast reconstruction with a deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap. In the following year, NAC reconstruction was performed using a composite graft technique. Seven years after the NAC reconstruction, erosion appeared on the nipple grafted from its contralateral counterpart; scrape cytology revealed malignancy. The skin on the right side of her chest around the NAC and subcutaneous fat tissue consisted of transferred tissue from the abdomen, as the DIEP flap and grafted nipple were located on the graft skin. The right nipple carcinoma arose from the tissue taken from the left nipple. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography showed no malignant findings in the left breast. As the malignant lesion seemed limited to the area around the grafted right nipple on MRI, surgical resection with sufficient lateral and deep margins was performed around the right nipple. Pathological findings revealed invasive ductal carcinoma with comedo ductal components infiltrating the graft skin and underlying adipose tissue. Immunohistochemistry revealed positive for ER, PgR, and HER2.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first case involving the development of invasive ductal carcinoma in a nipple graft constructed on the skin of a DIEP flap, with the origin from the contralateral breast's nipple.

Invasive Breast Carcinoma Arising in a Nipple Adenoma After 15 Years: Report of a Rare Case and Literature Review

Nipple adenoma (NA) is a rare benign breast neoplasm that seldom co-exists with breast carcinoma (BC). Majority of these BC are separate from NA, and their origin from NA is an extremely rare event. We herein describe a case of 65-year-old female who had a painless lump for 15 years which increased in size and ulcerated for last six months. Microscopic examination of the wedge biopsy of nipple showed features of NA at superficial aspect and invasive carcinoma from it at the deeper aspect. The patient underwent mastectomy and axillary clearance, which revealed a 4-cm invasive breast carcinoma, no special type with axillary lymph node involvement. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy and adjuvant hormonal therapy. The patient is alive and disease-free after 36 months.

NA should be carefully evaluated for co-existent BC because it completely changes the treatment plan and prognosis.