title: Primary amyloidosis of the breast presenting as a solitary nodule: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Amyloidosis of the breast is an unusual diagnosis. Overall, only 2 major case series have been published in the literature since the time amyloidosis was first reported in 1973, highlighting the rare nature of this disease. Clinically, the patient may present with a breast mass or simply increased breast density and skin thickening. As such, amyloidosis may mimic the appearance of a number of pathologies, both benign and malignant.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a single case of a patient who presented with a breast mass and was ultimately diagnosed with primary amyloidosis of the breast. We also present a review of the literature to date.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main treatment for primary amyloidosis of the breast is surgical removal, most often accomplished with breast conservation via lumpectomy. In performing the lumpectomy, the goal should be to obtain negative surgical margins; however, no strong data exist to suggest that such lesions would recur with a microscopically positive margin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Huerter
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Advocate Cancer Institute, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, IL.
authors.forename: Rasheed
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hammadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Asher
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weisberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Advocate Cancer Institute, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, IL.
authors.forename: Adam I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Riker
keywords: Amyloidosis; Congo red; mammogram; mastectomy–segmental