Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2010 Aug;5(4):246-249.
doi: 10.1159/000313982. Epub 2010 Aug 9.

Myoepithelial Carcinoma: A Rare Neoplasm of the Breast

Affiliations
Case Reports

Myoepithelial Carcinoma: A Rare Neoplasm of the Breast

Kuo-Chun Liao et al. Breast Care (Basel). 2010 Aug.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Malignant myoepitheliomas of the breast are extremely rare. There has been a limited number of published reports of myoepithelial carcinomas originating from the breast. CASE REPORT: We describe a malignant myoepithelioma of the breast in a 56-year-old woman. Histological examination showed polygonal epithelioid cells and spindle cells with moderate to marked nuclear atypia. Immunohistochemistry showed reactivity in the spindle cells for smooth muscle actin, cytokeratin (AE1/AE3), and p63, indicating a myoepithelial cell lineage of tumor cells. The patient underwent radical surgical excision of the lesion and axillary lymph node dissection. She demonstrated no evidence of recurrence over an 11-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest myoepithelial carcinomas of the breast be managed with appropriate surgical clearance. A multidisciplinary approach is usually required.

Hintergrund: Maligne Myoepitheliome der Brust sind extrem selten. Es existiert nur eine begrenzte Anzahl an Berichten über aus dem Brustgewebe stammende myoepitheliale Karzinome

Fallbericht: Wir beschreiben den Fall eines malignen Myoepithelioms der Brust bei einer 56-jährigen Patientin. Die histologische Untersuchung zeigte polygonale epitheloide Zellen und Spindelzellen mit moderater bis starker Kernatypie. Die immunhisto-chemische Untersuchung ergab Reaktivität in den Spindelzellen auf Glattmuskel-Aktin, Zytokeratin (AE1/AE3) und p63, was auf eine myoepitheliale Abstammung der Tumorzellen hindeutet. Eine radikale chirugische Resektion des Tumors und Exstirpation der Achsellymphknoten wurden durchgeführt. Während eines 11-monatigen Follow-ups zeigte die Patientin keine Anzeichen eines Rückfalls

Schlussfolgerungen: Wir schlagen bei myoepithelialen Karzinomen der Brust eine angemessene chirurgische Resektion vor. Ein multidisziplinärer Ansatz ist in der Regel erforderlich.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A Mammogram of the left breast showing regional architectural distortion without microcalcification at the lower inner quadrant. B Sonography showing a slightly hypoechoic mass with irregular margins.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
A Hematoxylin and Eosin stained section of the lesion showing a spindle cell neoplasm with marked nuclear atypia and frequent mitoses ×400) B Section of the lesion immunostained for p63 showing strong reactivity in the tumor cells (×400).

References

    1. Ahmed A. The myoepithelium in human breast carcinoma. J Pathol. 1974;113:129–35. - PubMed
    1. Chaudhry AP, Satchidanand S, Peer R, Cutler LS. Myoepithelial cell adenoma of the parotid gland: a light and ultrastructural study. Cancer. 1982;49:288–293. - PubMed
    1. Crissman JD, Wirman JA, Harris A. Malignant myoepithelioma of the parotid gland. Cancer. 1977;40:3042–9. - PubMed
    1. Sciubba JJ, Brannon RB. Myoepithelioma of salivary glands: report of 23 cases. Cancer. 1982;49:562–72. - PubMed
    1. Tavassoli FA. Myoepithelial lesions of the breast. Myoepitheliosis, adenomyoepithelioma and myoepithelial carcinoma. Am J Surg Pathol. 1991;15:554–68. - PubMed

Publication types