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Case Reports
. 2013 Aug 9;11(1):183.
doi: 10.1186/1477-7819-11-183.

Signet-ring cell carcinoma of the breast: a case report

Xing Li  1 , Yan-fen Feng, Wei-dong Wei, Peng Liu, Ze-ming Xie, Jin Wang, Xiao-ming Xie
Affiliations
Case Reports

Signet-ring cell carcinoma of the breast: a case report

Xing Li et al. World J Surg Oncol. .

Abstract

Signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) can arise from virtually all organs. However, primary SRCC of the breast is very rare. Until 2003, SRCC was placed under 'mucin-producing carcinomas' and separated from other carcinomas by the World Health Organization (WHO). To date, only a few cases have been reported. A case of a 46-year-old woman with primary SRCC of the breast is presented in this report. The patient underwent a right modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection. Characteristic features and differential diagnosis of this tumor are discussed in the light of pertinent literature.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Histological findings of case study. The carcinoma showed invasive carcinoma, and partial presence of the in situ component of carcinoma. (A) H&E stain, magnification × 40; (B) H&E stain, magnification × 200.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Histological findings of case study. The carcinoma component comprised of intracytoplasmic mucin with (A, B) Alcianblue staining and (C, D) signet-ring tumor cells.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Immunohistochemical findings of the tumor. The signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) component was negative for (A) ER, (B) PR, (C) GCDFP-15, (D) mammaglobin, (E) Hep Par1, (F) TTF-1, (G) MUC2 and (H) CK20; magnification × 200. CK20, cytokeratin 20; ER, estrogen receptor; GCDFP-15, gross cystic disease fluid protein-15; Hep Par1, hepatocyte paraffin 1; MUC2, mucin 2 glycoprotein; PR, progesterone receptor; SRCC, signet-ring cell carcinoma; TTF-1, thyroid transcription factor-1.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Immunohistochemical findings of the tumor. The signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) component was positive for (A) MUC1, (B) CDX2, (C) E-ca and (D) CK7; magnification × 200; and furthermore, (E) E-ca and (F) CK7; magnification × 400. CDX2, caudal type homeobox 2; CK7, cytokeratin 7; E-ca, E-cadherin; MUC1, mucin 1 glycoprotein; SRCC, signet-ring cell carcinoma.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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