Fine needle aspiration cytology of sclerosing lobular hyperplasia of the breast - A case report

BACKGROUND: Sclerosing lobular hyperplasia presenting as a palpable, circum scribed nodular mass in a young female's breast is characterized histologic ally by prominent hyperplasia of the lobules and sclerosis of the intralobu lar connective tissiue. The cytomorphologic features and differential diagn osis of the lesion arc presented. CASE: A 14-year-old female presented with a painless, progressively increas ing, nodular, firm, mobile lump measuring 5x5 cin in the right breast. The clinical and radiologic diagnosis was fibroadenoma. Fine needle aspiration smears showed a clean background With uniform, round to oval epithelial cel ls in flat sheets, round clusters and rosettelike (acinar) arrangements. A few naked nuclei were present, while stromal fragments were not seen. CONCLUSION: When analyzed in the context of the clinical findings, the cyto logic features of sclerosing lobular hyperplasia help to differentiate it f rom other benign palpable nodular lesions of the juvenile breast.