Mucocele-like Lesion of the Breast
Definition
- A microscopic mucinous cystic lesion of the breast, at least partially lined by bland epithelium, in which mucin is free in the stroma
Alternate / Historical Names
- Mucocele-like tumor
Diagnostic Criteria
- Pools of mucin in stroma variably lined by bland epithelium
- May be lined by ordinary or hyperplastic ductal epithelium
- Designate simply as mucocele-like lesion
- If lined by atypical epithelium, designate according to degree of atypia:
- Atypical hyperplasia with mucocele-like lesion
- DCIS with mucocele-like lesion
- May be lined by ordinary or hyperplastic ductal epithelium
- If groups of cells are floating in mucin they must not have complex architecture
- If present, they are individual cells or strips of cells
- Almost always a microscopic lesion
Richard L Kempson MD
Department of Pathology
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford CA 94305-5342
Original posting:: May 1, 2006
