Cystic hypersecretory carcinoma of the breast with paget disease of the nipple: a diagnostic challenge.

A unique case of cystic hypersecretory carcinoma in a 48-year-old woman who presented with a tender, palpable abnormality of the lower outer quadrant of her left breast in 2002 is described. Mammographic and ultrasound examinations showed heterogeneous, dense breast tissue with a focal asymmetric density and an ill-defined heterogenous hypoechoic area with anechoic spaces, respectively, that corresponded to the area of palpable abnormality. Although the imaging findings did not change significantly over 4 years, the patient complained of intermittent, spontaneous serous discharge from the left nipple and persistent induration and tenderness in the same area of the left breast.

A strategic approach to the evaluation of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients: analysis of 168 patients at a single institution.

Background: Preoperative evaluation of the axilla using fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and/or intraoperative evaluation of the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) may significantly decrease the number of operative procedures required for staging or local control of the axilla in breast cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to examine and determine the number of operative procedures that could be excluded using both approaches.

Methods: A retrospective review of data was performed on 168 patients presenting with invasive clinical stage 1 to 3 breast cancer from March 2004 to March 2007.