Breast Anatomy & Pathology Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is the location of mammary glands?
Vertically - from 2nd/3rd to 6th rib
Horizontally - from sternal edge almost to midaxillary line
What are tubercles of Montgomery?
The sebaceous gland enlarged during pregnancy and lactation
Which part of the breast are the suspensory ligaments more pronounced?
In the upper part, to support breast tissue
How are breast mammary glands defined into lobules?
The portion of glands drained by one terminal duct is a lobule unit
This terminal duct lobular unit is the basic functional unit of the breast
What is the benefit of having looser connective tissue surrounding the acini within the lobule?
Allows for rapid expansion of secretory acini during pregnancy
What’s the difference between apocrine and merocrine secretion and what kind of molecules do they secrete?
Apocrine - eg lipids, they are secreted surrounded by a membrane with some cytoplasm also encircled
Merocrine - eg proteins, they are made in rER, packaged in Golgi and secreted via vesicles that merge with the membrane and empty its protein contents into the apical lumen/duct
What is the “triple assessment” of a patient with breast disease?
Clinical, imaging, cellular pathology (fine needle aspirate/Nipple discharge or scraping/needle core biopsy)
What is the histology of gynaecomastia?
Hyperplasia of the duct or connective tissue rather than the lobules
What is the definition of hamartoma?
circumscribed lesion of the chest containing cells of normal breast tissue but in abnormal proportions or distribution
**ALL cell types must be present for a diagnosis of hamartoma
In breast histology, remember that some white bits are normal fatty tissue and NOT cysts
How do fibroadenoma (breast mouse) usually present?
Painless, firm, discrete and mobile mass
solid on US
highest incidence in 3rd decade of life
What is the difference between a radial scar and a complex sclerosing lesion?
There are no histopathological differences, a RS is <= 10mm, whereas a CSL is larger >10mm
What are the different causative organisms for abscesses due to ductal ectasia or lactation-based?
DE:
Mixed organisms
Anaerobes
Lactation:
Staph aureus
Strep pyogenes
What is the difference between intraduct papilloma DCIS and papillary DCIS?
The former, intraduct papilloma DCIS involves a DCIS developing in a pre-existing papilloma, whereas the papillary DCIS is a subtype of DCIS
What is comedo necrosis?
What is the socioeconomic distribution of breast cancer incidence?
The least deprived group actually has the highest incidence (a reverse to many diseases)
What is the socioeconomic distribution of breast cancer mortality?
Mortality is higher in more deprived groups
What does a rapidly growing, firm and mobile breast mass in a woman over the age of 40 most likely suggest?
Think phyllodes tumour
Fibroadenoma is more likely if such a mass is not rapidly growing and in slightly younger women
How would fat necrosis of the breast present clinically?
Typically as a firm irregular lump usually after breast trauma
Triple assessment will be performed given its similarity with cancer
Management is usually conservative as it is typically self-limiting
