Clinical and pathological characteristics of invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast: 4 cases report

    ZHANG Runª²Qi, ZHANG Guanª²Jun, TIAN Rong

    Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, Shaanxi Medical College, Xi¬ðan 710068, China, Department of Pathology, First Hospital, Xi¬ðan Jiaotong University, Xi¬ðan 710061, China, Department of Dermatology, Air Force General Hospital, Beijing 100036, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To observe the clinical and pathological characteristics of 4 cases with invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) of the breast and in combination with literatures to explore the pathomorphological features, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, immunohistochemical features and prognosis of IMPC. METHODS: Immunohistochemical SP method and light microscopy were adopted to make an observation and analysis for the 4 IMPC cases based on literatures. RESULTS: Compared with infiltrating ductal carcinoma,the 4 IMPC cases were not significantly different in clinical symptoms, signs and general checkª²up. What was observed under a light microscope included: tumor cells were mulberryª² and micropapillaryª²shaped or it was of glandule tubular arrangement; there was obvious interspace between cancer nest and neighboring areas; micropapillary was empty of fiber blood vessel axes; immunohistochemical staining showed EMA positive location was both at outward surface of glandule duct and at micropapillaryª²like cancer nest. CONCLUSION: IMPC is a kind of rare invasive breast cancer with such biologic behaviors as a strong attacking on lymphatic and high probability of lymph node transfer and poor prognosis. ......