Fibromatosis of the breast: age-correlated morphofunctional features of 33 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To predict if antiestrogenic agents are useful in the treatment of breast fibromatoses, we undertook an immunohistochemical study of sex steroid hormone receptors (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and androgen receptor) and protein pS2 in 33 cases.


METHODS
The morphologic and immunohistochemical findings were correlated to patient menstrual status, which was categorized as childbearing age (n = 15), perimenopausal (n = 8), and postmenopausal (n = 10).


RESULTS
Fibromatoses in women of childbearing age were more cellular, more mitotically active, and displayed a larger proportion of cells with mild atypia than those in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. The hormonal status of these 3 groups does not explain the morphologic variations observed in these groups, inasmuch as no immunostaining for any of the hormone receptors was detected in the tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
The absence of estrogen receptor and pS2 in breast fibromatoses suggests that antiestrogenic agents are unlikely to be beneficial in the management of these tumors. Assessment of the hormone receptor profile is a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of spindle cell lesions of the breast. Although most spindle cell carcinomas as well as fibromatoses of the breast do not express estrogen or progesterone receptors, the absence of androgen receptor reactivity would favor a diagnosis of fibromatosis over that of myofibroblastoma.
Devouassoux-Shisheboran
M
M
Department of Gynecologic and Breast Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC, USA.
Schammel
M D
MD
Man
Y G
YG
Tavassoli
F A
FA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005350:Fibroma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011506:Proteins; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C051838:TFF1 protein, human; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins