title: Mammary hamartoma- a clinical dilemma.
abstract: Mammary hamartoma is an uncommon benign lesion. The frequency of the tumor is reported between 0.04 -1.15% and it accounts for 4.8% of all benign breast tumors. The lesion may be under-diagnosed by the clinician because of the varied clinical presentation or by the pathologist, as the microscopic appearance is not distinctive. A case of left sided mammary hamartoma in a 46-year-old female who presented with a freely mobile mass is reported. A clinical diagnosis of fibroadenoma was made and lumpectomy performed. Histopathology and gross diagnosis confirmed it to be a case of mammary hamartoma. Extensive area of adenosis, focal cystic change, apocrine metaplasia and columnar cell change was noted. Identification of hamartoma is important because there are the problems of recurrence, co-existent carcinomas and association with Cowden syndrome.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Hamartoma, fibroadenoma, apocrine, metaplasia, ductal carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Kanapilly Francis Magdalene, M.D. Pathology, Post-graduate diploma in Family Medicine, Professor in Pathology, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Chalaka, Kerala, India. Address: Kodyil House, Avittathur, Thrissur 680683, Kerala India. Phone No. 9496373192. Email: magdalenekf@gmail.com.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Magdalene
authors.affiliation: Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Chalaka, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Robin
authors.affiliation: Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Chalaka, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sapna