Surgical breast lesions in adolescent females.
OBJECTIVE
Breast diseases in teenage girls are fortunately uncommon, with most presenting masses being benign. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histopathological results of breast lesions excised from adolescent females less than 19 years of age.


METHODS
The authors reviewed the medical and pathology records at the University Hospital of Vienna, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, between 1993 and 2006, retrospectively. All data included the patient age, age of menarche, pregnancy, hormonal contraception, family history of breast cancer, size of the breast lesion and its histopathology following surgery.


RESULTS
Thirty-seven female patients with an average age of 16 years (ranging 12-18 years) were operated on for breast tumor and/or discharge. All tumors were palpable. Six patients had bilateral breast masses; thus, 43 breast lesions were evaluated following surgical excision. Surprisingly, breast cancer was found in two cases. Both patients were diagnosed with a noninvasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) within a fibroadenoma at the age of 16. These are the first reported cases of DCIS found in this young age group. As breast neoplasm was found in two cases, a malignancy rate of 4.7% was observed. The most common histologies were fibroadenoma (n=27) and fibrocystic disease (n=4).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of primary breast cancer in adolescent women is low. However, our experience shows the need for compulsory excision of all breast masses and highlighting the importance of histopathological evaluation of all breast tumors including adolescents.
Tea
Muy-Kheng M
MK
Division of Senology, Department of OB/GYN, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. muy-kheng.tea@meduniwien.ac.at
Asseryanis
Ella
E
Kroiss
Regina
R
Kubista
Ernst
E
Wagner
Teresa
T
D000293:Adolescent; D001317:Austria; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D003557:Phyllodes Tumor / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies