Abstract
A primary high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the breast was evaluated preoperatively by fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in a 72-year-old woman. The smears showed a mixed pattern consisting of clusters of poorly differentiated squamous cells, keratinized squamous cells and vacuolated mucin-secreting cells. The subsequent mastectomy specimen showed a tumor with the features of a high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Electron microscopy confirmed the diagnosis, reflecting the epidermoid and glandular differentiation of the tumor. The course was rapidly fatal, and the patient died a few months after presentation. A review of the literature indicated that mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the breast is a very rare neoplasm; and FNA cytologic features described in this report may constitute a basis to preoperatively recognize this tumor.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 195-200 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Acta Cytologica |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 1989 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cell Biology
- Anatomy
- Histology