An Update of Mucinous Lesions of the Breast

Surg Pathol Clin. 2018 Mar;11(1):61-90. doi: 10.1016/j.path.2017.09.002. Epub 2017 Dec 6.

Abstract

Mucinous lesions of the breast include a variety of benign and malignant epithelial processes that display intracytoplasmic or extracellular mucin, including mucocelelike lesions, mucinous carcinoma, solid papillary carcinoma, and other rare subtypes of mucin-producing carcinoma. The most important diagnostic challenge is the finding of free-floating or stromal mucin accumulations for which the significance depends on the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic context. This article emphasizes the differential diagnosis between mucocelelike lesions and mucinous carcinoma, with a brief consideration of potential mimics, such as biphasic and mesenchymal lesions with myxoid stroma ("stromal mucin") and foreign material.

Keywords: Breast; Mucinous carcinoma; Mucocele-like lesion; Solid papillary carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / pathology*
  • Biopsy, Needle
  • Breast / pathology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / pathology*
  • Cytodiagnosis
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mucin-1

Substances

  • MUC1 protein, human
  • Mucin-1