Cytology of nipple discharge in florid gynecomastia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the cytomorphologic spectrum of nipple discharge in florid gynecomastia.


METHODS
During a 22-year period (July 1979-June 2001), nipple discharge from nine males with breast lesions were examined. Smears from four of these cases with histologically documented gynecomastia were reviewed along with the tissue sections.


RESULTS
In the three patients with florid gynecomastia the smears were cellular, with numerous benign ductal cells and papillary fragments along with foam cells and inflammatory cells. Epithelial atypia was mild in two cases and moderate in one. One of the three cases had an associated breast lump that showed features of florid gynecomastia on fine needle aspiration cytology. The biopsy from this case showed cystic hyperplasia of the breast similar to that in women with an intraductal papilloma. One case of simple gynecomastia on histology showed two fragments of benign ductal cells with occasional apocrine and foam cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Nipple discharge in florid gynecomastia may pose problems in identification as the cellularity and atypia may lead to a misdiagnosis of carcinoma.
Kapila
Kusum
K
Cytopathology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi-110029, India. kkapila@yahoo.com
Verma
Kusum
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006177:Gynecomastia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009558:Nipples / Q000378:metabolism*; D018300:Papilloma, Intraductal / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology