Unusual Case of Papillary Carcinoma of the Breast

Abstract

Papillary carcinoma of the breast represents a distinct subtype of breast cancer characterized by its unique clinical and histopathological features. It is seen predominantly affecting post-menopausal women. Overall, papillary carcinoma has a low prevalence. Histologically, papillary carcinoma is characterized by the presence of papillae-like structures lined by epithelial cells and supported by fibrovascular cores, appearing like a dual-layered epithelium. The clinical, epidemiological, and pathological characteristics of papillary carcinoma of the breast are not widely described in the existing literature. The gold standard for diagnosis of carcinoma breast of any type remains a core needle biopsy, but in our case, the diagnosis of papillary carcinoma was made in the final histopathology specimen. Treatment strategies for papillary carcinoma include surgical excision with or without axillary dissection followed by adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy depending on the immunohistochemistry and tumor characteristics, but there appear multiple variations in the management of more common NOS (not otherwise specified) type and the papillary carcinoma of the breast. We present a case report of this papillary carcinoma of the breast.