Granular cell tumor (GCT) is a rare
soft tissue neoplasm of
Schwann cell origin. Most cases occur in
adults; however, the precise
incidence is unknown in
children. GCT is usually a slow-growing, painless
tumor involving the
skin and soft
tissues that is mostly located in the
head and
neck region, especially the
tongue. The
breast is one of the least common sites involved by GCT. This
paper presents a 3-year-old
girl who presented with a soft to firm, ill-defined swelling on the right
breast with painful ulceration of the overlying
skin.
Fine needle aspiration rendered an initial
diagnosis of fibrocystic change accompanied by apocrine
metaplasia. Histologic evaluation of the excised
breast mass revealed a benign
granular cell tumor. Although rare, GCT of the
breast should be included in the
differential diagnosis for
breast masses in pediatric
patients. Proper
diagnosis and timely management of this
tumor are essential because of its malignant potential (<2% of cases) and high rate of local
recurrence if not properly excised.