REAPPRAISAL OF BREAST HAMARTOMAS - A MORPHOLOGICAL-STUDY OF 41 CASES

Mammary hamartomas are breast disorders currently underestiminated and not well recognized. Forty-one hamartomas diagnosed among S 834 breas t biopsies, histologically examined during the last 7 years, are repor ted. Hamartomas accounted for 1.2 % of benign lesions and 4.8 % of ben ign breast tumors. Clinically, hamartomas were revealed by breast palp able lump, usually painless. Typically, but inconsistently, mammograph y showed sharply circumscribed density, separated from adjacent normal breast by a thin radioluscent zone. Macroscopically, hamartomas were slightly larger and softer than common adenofibromas, were well limite d, whitish, pinkish and fleshy, with yellow islands of fat tissue. His tologically, hamartomas exhibited pushing borders with a pseudoencapsu lation, and consisted of a combination of variable amount of stromal a nd epithelial components. Stromal components mainly consisted in a pro minent fibrohyalin feature usually associated to small islands of adip ose tissue and edematous changes. Epithelial structures showed variabl e features of benign breast disease. The overall architecture was lobu lated but not nodular. The histological diagnosis was mainly a diagnos is of exclusion and hamartomas diagnosis relies on clinical, radiologi cal and pathological criteria. Hamartomas result more from breast dysg enesis than from tumorous process.