Dk. Das et al., METAPLASTIC CARCINOMA OF THE BREAST IN A RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT -INITIAL DIAGNOSIS BY FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY AND IMMUNOCYTOCHEMISTRY, Acta cytologica, 38(6), 1994, pp. 917-922
A 46-year-old woman presented with a mass in the left breast and left
axillary lymphadenopathy. Five years earlier she had received a renal
transplant from an unrelated donor because of end-stage renal failure
secondary to adult polycystic kidney disease. She suns on immunosuppre
ssion therapy in the form of cyclosporine, azathioprine and prednisolo
ne. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the breast mass showed a metapl
astic (sarcomatoid) carcinoma, whereas the axillary lymph node aspirat
e suggested carcinosarcoma; Immunocytochemical studies revealed dense
positivity for vimentin in the sarcomatous component and positivity fo
r epithelial membrane antigen in the epithelial component. Rare cells
were positive for cytokeratin. The cytodiagnosis was confirmed by exci
sion biopsy of axillary lymph nodes. The-patient died on the fourth po
stoperative day following left mastectomy and axillary clearance, The
histopathology report of the breast tumor showed sarcomatoid carcinoma
.