title: High-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the breast. Fine needle aspiration cytology and clinicopathologic study of a case.
abstract: A primary high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the breast was evaluated preoperatively by fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in a 72-year-old woman. The smears showed a mixed pattern consisting of clusters of poorly differentiated squamous cells, keratinized squamous cells and vacuolated mucin-secreting cells. The subsequent mastectomy specimen showed a tumor with the features of a high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Electron microscopy confirmed the diagnosis, reflecting the epidermoid and glandular differentiation of the tumor. The course was rapidly fatal, and the patient died a few months after presentation. A review of the literature indicated that mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the breast is a very rare neoplasm; the FNA cytologic features described in this report may constitute a basis to preoperatively recognize this tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, 2nd Medical School, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pettinato
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Insabato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Chiara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manco
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Petrella
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron