Fat necrosis of the breast: a cytological and clinical study

Fat necrosis of the breast is a sterile condition that usually results from trauma to the breast. I present with a breast lump that, on clinical and m ammographic examination, can mimic malignancy. The literature suggests that fat necrosis of the breast can only be diagnosed accurately by histologica l examinations of breast biopsies. In this paper, we review the findings of a series of 35 patients in whom fat necrosis was diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology. Repeated fine needle aspiration cytology with close fo llow-up have proven to be a reliable method of establishing the diagnosis o f fat necrosis of the breast, thereby reducing the necessity for open biops y. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.