ABSTRACT
Psammoma bodies (PBs) in breast lesions are rare and little is known about the role of these structures in breast pathology. This study has looked in to the diagnostic significance of PBs in fine needle aspiration (FNAC) of breast lesions. Over a 5-year period, FNACs of the breast were done in 4,563 subjects, of which 1,678 were diagnosed to be malignant. On review of all breast aspirates including non-neoplastic lesions, 30 cases showed PBs to be associated with breast carcinoma (BC). Cytological features were correlated with clinical, radiological, histological, and immunohistochemical findings. All 30 aspirates and their corresponding histological sections showed varying number of PBs and nonpsammomatous bodies (NPBs). For comparison, 31 cases of age-matched BC without PBs and NPBs in both aspirates and sections were studied. Statistical analysis using Chi-square test was done to compare BC with and without PBs. BC with PBs was characterized by papillary pattern of malignant cells, mucin in the background, infiltration by macrophages, cellular degeneration, overexpression of estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) and moderate positivity (2+) for Her2/neu. Calcium deposition has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of many degenerative diseases; hence the formation of PBs may be relevant in breast oncology. The presence of PBs in FNAC of clinically suspected breast lesions which are cytologically negative for malignancy warrants further histological confirmation.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous/pathology , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Calcinosis/pathology , Mammary Glands, Human/pathology , Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous/metabolism , Adult , Aged , Biopsy, Fine-Needle , Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Calcinosis/metabolism , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Receptor, ErbB-2 , Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism , Receptors, Progesterone/metabolismABSTRACT
The presence of psammoma bodies (PBs) in cervical smears is a rare finding. These structures have been identified in association with a wide range of benign and malignant conditions within the female genital tract. PBs in cervical smears have usually been associated with malignant serous epithelial ovarian tumors. However, many PBs associated with atypical squamous cells were detected in cervical smears of an 83-year-old woman with complaint of postmenopausal bleeding. Colposcopic examination revealed an ulceroinfiltrative growth in the cervix. Histological examination of the biopsy specimen from the growth revealed keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma with multiple and singly arranged PBs. This report suggests that cytologists should aware of the possibilities, on finding PBs associated with atypical cells in cervical specimens and report the cases accordingly.
Subject(s)
Calcinosis/complications , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/complications , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Keratins/metabolism , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/complications , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/pathology , Vaginal Smears , Aged, 80 and over , Female , HumansABSTRACT
Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology plays an important role in the diagnosis of various pathologic conditions in the breast. Microcalcification can be observed in benign and malignant breast lesions, but psammoma bodies (PBs) are rarely reported in breast lesions and are a feature of papillary neoplasms. However, we have observed PBs in large numbers in a mucinous carcinoma of breast, which is not previously reported in FNA of breast lesions. A 65-yr-old postmenopausal woman underwent FNA of a palpable mass. The aspirate revealed mucinous carcinoma cells associated with plenty of PBs. This case report of mucinous carcinoma of the breast with abundant PBs highlights the cytodiagnostic pattern of the lesion and formation of PBs.
