| Medullary Carcinoma
|
Etiology
• Unknown
|
Pathogenesis
• Unknown; see general discussion of infiltrating duct carcinoma,
|
Epidemiology
• Represents <5% of all breast carcinomas
|
General Gross Description
• Tan, fleshy mass without gritty hard texture of typical invasive duct carcinoma
• May show areas of hemorrhage and necrosis
• Well circumscribed
•Examples:
|
General Microscopic Description
• Well circumscribed; if not, then should not be classified as medullary carcinoma
• Cells are very large with scant cytoplasm, prominent nucleoli, and large nuclei
• Cells arranged in sheets with a dense lymphoctyic response
•Examples:
|
Clinical Correlation
• Much better prognosis than usual duct carcinoma even with node metastases
• 70% overall 10 year survival
|
References
• Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th edition. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 1104-5.
Search Medline at National Library of Medicine
Please be patient during transfer. Medline will open in a new window. To return, close the Medline Window
| Medullary Carcinoma
| | Synopsis by: Melinda Sanders M.D. (T04000M85103)[307]
| |