Organ Systems, Breast

Breast – Fibrocystic Change

This is a non-proliferative lesion characterized clinically as small lumps, which do not carry an increased risk of breast carcinoma.  Fibrocystic changes have three characteristic features, which may be present in part or whole, and include:  
  • Adenosis – Increased ductal acini density.  Calcification may be present as well as other epithelial changes such as flat epithelial atypia (see separate discussion).
  • Cystic change – Cysts (typically of varying sizes) lines by flat atrophic epithelium or apocrine metasplasia are characteristic.  Calcification are also common.
  • FIbrosis – Areas of fibrosis are characteristically present, and are thought to originate from chronic inflammation secondary to ruptured cysts.
Breast - Fibrocystic Change
Dilated duct structures with apocrine changes (low power).
Breast - Fibrocystic Change
Fibrocystic change with apocrine metaplasia and micropapillary formation.
Breast - Fibrocystic Change
Duct dilation in fibrocystic change (low power).
References

Kumar, Vinay, Abul K. Abbas, and Jon C. Aster. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. Ninth edition. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders, 2015.