Basic Histopathology of Breast Lesions

Abstract

The clinical presentations of breast diseases can be multiple, including breast lump, breast “lumpiness,” nipple discharge, pain and redness of the overlying skin, or axillary lymph node enlargement. Nowadays, many breast lesions are asymptomatic, being detected by imaging or breast screening or as incidental findings during surgical removal for a different lesion. In general, the presentation may give some hints to the nature of the underlying pathology. A solitary breast lump may represent either a benign or malignant breast tumor; typically, benign breast tumors are not fixed to the underlying structures, being freely mobile within the breast parenchyma, and palpation or imaging show rounded border. A malignant tumor, on the contrary, shows irregular border, and the tumor desmoplasia may render the mass firm to hard on palpation and being fixed to the underlying parenchymal tissue or the overlying skin.