Pathology Cheat Sheet
Separate Mass From Risk
Benign breast disease for NEET-PG: fibroadenoma, phyllodes tumour, fibrocystic change, atypical hyperplasia risk, sclerosing adenosis, and fat necrosis.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Separate Mass From Risk
Benign breast disease for NEET-PG: fibroadenoma, phyllodes tumour, fibrocystic change, atypical hyperplasia risk, sclerosing adenosis, and fat necrosis.
Fibroadenoma and phyllodes tumour and fibrocystic change, and their relationship to breast cancer risk.
High-yield lines
- Fibroadenoma is the most common benign breast tumour in young women and is oestrogen-dependent.
- Fibroadenoma is a well-circumscribed mobile firm mass with proliferation of stroma and glands.
- Phyllodes tumour has a leaf-like architecture with a hypercellular stroma and can be benign or malignant.
- Phyllodes tumour is distinguished from fibroadenoma by increased stromal cellularity and mitoses.
- Fibrocystic change is the most common benign breast condition and includes cysts, fibrosis, and adenosis.
- Non-proliferative fibrocystic change does not increase breast cancer risk.
- Proliferative fibrocystic change without atypia carries a mild increase in breast cancer risk.
- Atypical ductal and lobular hyperplasia carry a substantially increased breast cancer risk.
- Sclerosing adenosis can mimic carcinoma clinically and radiologically.
- Traumatic fat necrosis of the breast can present as a firm mass mimicking carcinoma.
- A palpable breast mass in a young woman is most often a fibroadenoma.
- Cyclical breast pain and lumpiness are typical of fibrocystic change.
Mapped competency codes
- PA31.1
- PA31.3
Continue into the full chapter
This summary maps to PA31-breast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common benign breast tumour in young women?
Fibroadenoma, an oestrogen-dependent, well-circumscribed, mobile, firm mass with proliferation of both stroma and glands.
How does phyllodes tumour differ from fibroadenoma?
Phyllodes tumour has a leaf-like architecture with increased stromal cellularity and mitoses, and unlike fibroadenoma it can behave malignantly.
Which fibrocystic changes increase breast cancer risk?
Non-proliferative change carries no increase, proliferative change without atypia gives a mild increase, and atypical hyperplasia gives a substantial increase in risk.
Why can fat necrosis mimic breast carcinoma?
Because it presents as a firm, sometimes fixed palpable mass, often following trauma, that can appear suspicious clinically and on imaging.
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