title: Enormous, rapidly growing breast mass.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Signs and symptoms of a rapidly enlarging breast mass are not only important for all clinicians to recognize and assess, but also are not uncommon occurrences. We describe a similar but unique case that developed into an enormous, 36 cm exophytic mass.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 51-year-old woman with history of psychiatric conditions presented for signs and symptoms of sepsis. It was determined that the source was an enormous 36 cm mass originating from the breast/chest wall. After stabilizing the patient with antibiotics, she underwent successful resection. Surgical margins were positive, and histopathology demonstrated bland spindle cells with stromal overgrowth. Together with clinical and histopathological information, the patient was diagnosed with a phyllodes tumor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differential diagnosis of rapidly growing breast masses is discussed, which are not uncommon occurrences in clinical medicine. One etiology, phyllodes tumors, can grow into large, exophytic masses as described. Oncologic treatment is discussed, usually consisting of surgery with postoperative radiotherapy for high-risk features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 987521 Nebraska Medical Center, Ground Floor, Clarkson Tower, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA. vivek333@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA. sanjaymuttineni@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muttineni
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 987521 Nebraska Medical Center, Ground Floor, Clarkson Tower, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA. kulkarnirajesh1409@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rajesh R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA. esilva@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Edibaldo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silva-Lopez
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA. wwest@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 987521 Nebraska Medical Center, Ground Floor, Clarkson Tower, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA. rbthompson@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D003557:Phyllodes Tumor / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology