Tubular carcinoma of the breast: mammographic, sonographic, clinical and pathologic findings.
OBJECTIVE
To determine and quantitate the radiological characteristics of tubular carcinoma of the breast, to report clinical and pathologic findings and to define findings at follow-up.


METHODS
A retrospective review of records of 2872 women who received a diagnosis of breast carcinoma between January 1988 and January 2006 revealed 32 histopathologically proven pure tubular carcinoma of the breast. Analysis included history; findings at physical examination, mammography, and sonography (US) at the time of diagnosis and in postoperative follow-up and histopathological results.


RESULTS
Fifty-nine percent of the patients (n=19) presented with a palpable mass. The mammographic findings were a mass in 23 (72%), a mass with microcalcifications in 2 (6%), asymmetric focal density in 1 (3%), architectural distortion in 1 (3%) and negative in 5 (16%) of the 32 patients. Most (96%) masses had spiculated margins. US depicted 30 masses in 29 patients, all of which were hypoechoic, mostly (n=27, 90%) with posterior acoustic shadowing. The cancer was clinically occult in 41% (n=13), mammographically occult in 16% (n=5), and sonographically occult in 6% (n=2) of the patients. Histologically, the tumor was multifocal in 3% (n=1) of the patients. Four (13%) patients developed contralateral breast carcinoma at follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Tubular carcinoma has a variety of presentations, but it is mostly seen on mammography as a small spiculated mass, and on sonography as an irregular mass with posterior acoustic shadowing. Although tubular carcinoma is known as a well-differentiated tumor with excellent prognosis, the mammographic follow-up of the contralateral breast is important.
Günhan-Bilgen
Işil
I
Ege University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Bornova, Izmir 35100, Turkey. isilbilgen@hotmail.com
Oktay
Ayşenur
A
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*