IgM plasma cell myeloma with amyloidosis presenting as mammary microcalcifications.

We report the case of an otherwise healthy 67-year-old woman who presented with bilateral breast masses and calcifications. Bilateral mammary biopsies showed infiltration by monoclonal neoplastic plasma cells and diffuse osseous metaplasia. Congo red stains and immunohistochemistry showed amyloid deposits.

Expression of cathepsin D and galectin 3 in tubular carcinomas of the breast.

Tubular carcinoma (TC) is a distinctive type of grade I (G1) ductal carcinoma with particularly favourable outcome and low rate of axillary metastases. To the best of our knowledge, few data are available in the literature concerning the expression of molecules mediating intercellular and cell-matrix interactions in TC. We examined with immunohistochemical methods the expression of galectin 3 and cathepsin D in 17 TC and in 33, 31 and 28 ductal carcinomas of G1, grade II (G2) and grade III (G3), respectively.

[Malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast with osteoclast-like giant cells: a case report].

Breast tumors, particularly of stromal origin, containing multinucleated osteoclast-like giant cells (OLGC) are rarely reported in the literature. We report here the first case of a malignant phyllodes tumor associated with OLGC occurring in a 43 year-old African woman who presented with a painful palpable mass of the outer upper quadrant of the right breast. After surgical excision, histological examination showed a malignant phyllodes tumor in which the stromal component displayed evident sarcomatous changes and was densely populated with benign multinucleated OLGC.