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

Adenoma of the Nipple: A Case Report

Nipple adenomas are rare, benign breast lesions that present similarly to breast malignancies, often manifesting with unilateral bloody discharge, a palpable mass, and/or nipple distortion. Imaging techniques have limited specificity in distinguishing nipple adenomas from malignancy; therefore, clinicians must rely on histologic and immunohistochemistry evaluation. Here, we highlight the case of a 69-year-old woman with bilateral nipple adenomas presenting as an enlarging nipple mass with chronic nipple discharge. Complete lesion resection with clear margins stands as the primary route of management and complete avoidance of re-occurrence. However, partial excision with nipple preservation has been reported to be successful in selected cases.

Nipple Adenoma: Systematic Review of Literature

Background

Nipple adenomas (NAs) are rare benign proliferative tumors presenting as palpable nodules, erosive lesions, or nipple discharge, mimicking other conditions. This systematic review categorizes cases into sole NA (ONA) or co-diagnoses with other conditions (CONA) to enhance clinical recognition, diagnosis, and treatment efficacy.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, a PubMed search was conducted for NA. Inclusion criteria covered original research, excluding reviews or other breast diseases. Bias risk was assessed through a thorough search, authors independently evaluated studies, and data were synthesized using varied measures. Subgroups ONA and CONA were formed. Analyses were conducted in Excel and R, complemented by a qualitative review due to case report predominance. Biases in case reports were transparently addressed.

Results

Of the 86 studies, 387 cases were analyzed, showing 10.34% with co-diagnoses of malignant or premalignant conditions. Mean age was 44, with a female predominance (97%). ONA (347 cases) and CONA (40 cases) subgroups exhibited variations in symptoms, physical findings, and imaging. Treatment modalities included excision (51.39%), biopsy alone (11.1%), and mastectomy (8.6%). Mean follow-up of 56.73 months revealed recurrence (2.87%) and malignancy development (1.79%), notably in CONA cases (33.33%).

Conclusions

This study provides insights into the broader age range of NA and its associations. Higher co-diagnosis rates were correlated with older age, highlighting the necessity for thorough investigation, with excision as the primary treatment. Follow-up emphasizes the significance of identifying and monitoring CONA cases, which pose a higher malignancy risk. Recurrence is presumed to be linked to proper lesion excision and co-diagnosis.

Management of nipple adenomas during pregnancy: a case report

BACKGROUND

Nipple adenoma is a very uncommon, benign neoplasm that involves the nipple. A palpable mass of the nipple associated with nipple discharge and erosion or ulceration is the common clinical presentation. Generally, complete surgical excision of the nipple is the main treatment, alternative therapeutic methods such as Mohs micrographic surgery, nipple splitting enucleation, and cryotherapy can be considered. Disorders of the breast in young women are generally benign. Even if the management during pregnancy is usually conservative and surgical excision is reserved for very strong malignancy suspicion, benign lesions can cause the impossibility to breastfeed after giving birth when involving the nipple.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present the case of a 28-year-old female, who was referred to the Breast Unit of the University Hospital of Modena (Italy) in May 2020 with a 12-months history of enlargement of the left nipple with associated erythema, serohemorrhagic discharge, and pain in the left nipple region. The diagnostic assessment came out in favor of a nipple adenoma. After surgical treatment was recommended, the patient got pregnant. Taking into account the major risks of surgery during pregnancy, a multidisciplinary discussion was conducted, to consider whether to proceed with surgery or postpone it after pregnancy. Because of the volume and the position of the adenoma, the indication for surgical excision was confirmed, to allow regular lactation and breastfeeding immediately after giving birth and to avoid potential obstructive complications. Surgical excision of nipple adenoma without complete resection of the nipple was performed after her first trimester of pregnancy under local anesthesia. A histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis. No recurrence occurred after 12 months. The patient gave birth, had no deficit in lactation, and successfully breastfed.

CONCLUSIONS

Therefore, we consider that nipple adenoma enucleation might be a safe treatment even during pregnancy. Moreover, conservative local treatment of nipple adenomas can preserve the nipple aesthetically and functionally, thus allowing regular lactation and breastfeeding in young women.

Papillary lesions of the breast

Papillary lesions of the breast represent a heterogeneous group of lesions including benign papillomas, papillomas with focal epithelial atypia, fully fledged ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or lobular neoplasia, papillary DCIS, encapsulated papillary carcinomas without or with invasion, solid papillary carcinomas, and invasive papillary carcinomas. A micropapillary pattern characterized by lack of fibrous stalks within the papillae is observed in micropapillary DCIS and invasive micropapillary carcinoma. In addition, a variety of other rare breast lesions reveals a papillary architecture such as tall cell carcinoma with reversed polarity (TCCRP) and mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, adenomyoepithelioma, and secretory carcinoma. In addition, benign lesions such as usual ductal hyperplasia, apocrine metaplasia, gynecomastia, and juvenile papillomatosis may show a papillary or micropapillary architecture. Fragments of a benign papilloma in a breast biopsy are considered a lesion of uncertain malignant potential (B3 in the European classification) and excision is mostly recommended. Although the knowledge about molecular pathology of papillary breast lesions has increased, there is not sufficient evidence for diagnostically useful molecular features, yet. The aim of this review is to provide an update on papillary and micropapillary lesions with emphasis on problematic areas for daily diagnostic work including biopsies.