title: Low-grade cribriform ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast. Fine needle aspiration cytology in three cases.
abstract: This paper presents the cytologic features of fine needle aspiration biopsy specimens from three cases of ductal carcinoma in situ characterized by small and uniform tumor cells growing in a predominantly cribriform pattern without comedo necrosis (low-grade cribriform ductal carcinoma in situ). On cytology, most of the tumor cells were clustered in three-dimensional ductal structures. Occasionally in the clusters the tumor cells were seen bordering central lumina, quite similar to the architecture in histology. A few single tumor cells and no myoepithelium were seen. The background was clear or slightly hemorrhagic, without necrosis. The tumor cells were uniform and had a cylindroid shape, with round or oval nuclei. Morphometrically the mean largest nuclear diameter was 1.5-1.6 times that of a red blood cell. The chromatin was finely granular, with a minute nucleolus and slight condensation along the nuclear membrane. In cut sections all three tumors showed strong immunoreactivity for neuron-specific enolase. Unless the cribriform growth pattern is recognized in the smear, the cytologic diagnosis of this entity is difficult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lilleng
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Hagmar
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Farrants
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques