Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast in an HIV-positive patient: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast is a rare neoplasm that causes diagnostic difficulty on fine needle aspiration smears. Breast carcinoma in HIV-infected patients occurs at a relatively early age, with increased bilateral disease, unusual histology, and early metastatic spread with a poor outcome.


METHODS
A case of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast arose in a 36-year-old woman who was seropositive for HIV. In the absence of a sarcomatous component and presence of obvious ductal differentiation on aspirates, a diagnosis of high grade infiltrating duct carcinoma, not otherwise specified, was made on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).


CONCLUSIONS
This case underlines the limitations of FNAC in the diagnosis of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast. It also shows that it is imperative to maintain a high index of suspicion for rare pathologies in immunocompromised patients.
Anshu
Department of Pathology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha (Maharashtra), India.
Shivkumar
V B
VB
Gangane
Nitin
N
Sharma
Satish
S
D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000592:standards; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis