Evaluation of incidence and histolopathological findings of breast lesions in reduction mammoplasty specimens: Uludag University experience

Abstract

Objective: To report the incidence of benign, pre-cancerous and malignant lesions in reduction mammoplasty specimens.

Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at the Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey and comprised data of 264 patients who underwent bilateral breast reduction between 2004 and 2009. Operative reports and pathological findings of all patients were reviewed. Patients were divided into three age groups with reference to the hormonal characteristics: girls and women between 13 and 35 years constituted group 1; women older than 35 and younger than 50 years old were clustered in group 2; and women over 50 years formed group 3. Descriptive statistics were applied.

Results: Fibrocystic disease was the most common (n=402; 76.13%) lesion in all groups. Proliferative lesions such as intraductal epithelial hyperplasia and atypical ductal hyperplasia were each found in 0.4% (n=2) cases. There were 2(0.4%) cases with invasive ductal carcinoma, and 1(0.2%) case with ductal carcinoma in situ. All malignant tumours were found in patients over 50 years of age.

Conclusion: Microscopic examination of macroscopically normal breast tissue from breast reduction specimens may provide noteworthy pathological findings. Histological sampling of reduction mammoplasty specimens gave rise to the early detection of occult neoplastic breast lesions.