title: Cytological features of nipple adenoma in scraping smears.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nipple adenoma (NA) is a benign epithelial lesion of the breast that can clinically simulate Paget's disease or invasive ductal carcinoma. Therefore, correct pre-operative diagnosis is important for appropriate management.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cytological samples may be obtained by different methods such as fine needle aspiration, nipple discharge or nipple scraping. Herein, the cytological features of three cases of NA are described in which samples were derived from nipple scraping.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all three cases, patients were adult females presenting with a sub-areolar nodule, showing skin ulceration in 2 of 3 cases. The nipple scraping cytological smears were characterised by a bloody background with epithelial cells arranged in clusters or singularly, showing an irregular nuclei profile. These features could simulate a malignant process. However, at higher magnification, fine nuclear chromatin with inconspicuous nucleoli and presence of myoepithelial cells were helpful to exclude malignancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NA may present "worrisome" cytological features on smears derived from nipple scraping. Therefore, knowledge of the cytological spectrum of this lesion is important to avoid misdiagnosis.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cinocca
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rosini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asioli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Vecchio
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cucchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saguatti
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Betts
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Foschini
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009558:Nipples / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*