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

BACKGROUND: Sclerosing lobular hyperplasia presenting as a palpable, circumscribed nodular mass in a young female's breast is characterized histologically by prominent hyperplasia of the lobules and sclerosis of the intralobular connective tissiue. The cytomorphologic features and differential diagnosis of the lesion arc presented. CASE: A 14-year-old female presented with a painless, progressively increasing, 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 cells 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 cytologic features of sclerosing lobular hyperplasia help to differentiate it from other benign palpable nodular lesions of the juvenile breast.