Invasive Secretory (Juvenile) Carcinoma Arising in Ectopic Breast Tissue of the Axilla

Abstract

Mammary carcinoma arising in ectopic breast tissue is an uncommon occurrence. Most reported cases have involved ductal carcinoma, but other types, such as medullary, papillary, and lobular carcinomas, have been described. For pathologists, the diagnosis of mammary carcinoma arising in ectopic breast tissue can be difficult, especially in the axilla, where carcinoma of adnexal origin must be excluded. We describe a 46-year-old woman who developed invasive (juvenile) secretory carcinoma in ectopic right axillary breast tissue and micrometastatic carcinoma in an ipsilateral axillary lymph node. The carcinoma arose in a right axillary mass that had been present for 8 years, from which she had secreted fluid during prior breast-feeding. To our knowledge, this is the first report of secretory carcinoma arising in axillary breast tissue to be documented in the current literature.

Approach and management of primary ectopic breast carcinoma in the axilla: Where are we? A comprehensive historical literature review

“…(4) No malignant lesions in the eutopic breast tissue. 6,8 In the diagnosis of PEBC in the armpit, axillary node metastasis should be excluded. Histopathologically, metastases tend to be multiple and exhibit expansive growth.…”

Fibroadenoma in axillary accessory breast tissue: a case report

“…Two hypotheses have been proposed on the development of accessory breast. One attributes the condition to the failure of involution of the milk line, while the other believes it develops from the modified apocrine sweat glands [9,10]. The first one is the most widely known hypothesis and is linked to the embryogenesis of normal breast.…”

“…Radiologic evaluation in our patient showed no urogenital or cardiac abnormalities. Accessory breast tissue is subject to hormonal response and may develop benign and malignant pathologic processes similar to those seen in normally located breast tissues, including fibrocystic disease, intraductal papilloma, lactating adenoma, fibroadenoma, and carcinoma [9,10,16]. Of these, carcinoma is reported as the common pathology [15].…”

Axillary carcinoma with apocrine differentiation: a case report

“…While most histological types of breast malignancies are reported in ABC [12], 70-80% of ABCs are invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) [10,13]. In male breast cancer, 80-90% of cases express hormone acceptors [2,9] and 10% of cases express HER2 [9].…”