BREAST CYTOPATHOLOGY
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Special Types of Breast Carcinomas 113
Figure 4.33. Tubular carcinoma. The tumor consists of small, round,
uniform nuclei arranged in tubules with open lumens and prominent
scalloping (noted at 6 o’clock). (Smear, Papanicolaou.)
• More common in younger patients
• Presents as a solitary, soft, well-circumscribed, and mobile
mass
• Clinically mimics fibroadenoma, benign cyst, or an intramammary
lymph node
• Much better prognosis, even with axillary node metastasis
Cytomorphologic Characteristics (Figures 4.34 to 4.37)
• Hypercellular smears
• Relatively larger, pleomorphic cells, single or in loose clusters,
often syncytial arrangements
• Large nuclei with large nucleoli
• Naked nuclei with macronucleoli, better appreciated on
Diff-Quik stain
• Background lymphocytes, often in close proximity to cellular
syncytia
• Cellular degeneration and/or necrosis