Abstract
Apocrine epithelium in the breast is commonly observed lining the cysts characteristic of cystic disease (Fig. 1) (Azzopardi, 1979). The cells are columnar to cuboidal, have eosinophilic cytoplasm and a round nucleus with a prominent nucleolus. After diastase digestion, the PAS method stains irregular coarse granules in the cell apices which ultra-structurally correspond to large osmiophilic electron-dense granules (Fig. 2) (Pier et al., 1970). In the literature, there are several conflicting opinions concerning the nature of this epithelium. Recently, definitive evidence that pink epithelium of the breast is apocrine in nature has been provided by Mazoujian et al. (1983). These authors have immunocytochemically located an apocrine marker, GCDFP-15, in this epithelium (Fig. 3). The same marker is also found in apocrine cells in other body sites. GCDFP-15 is a 15,000 dalton protein obtained from the fluid of tension cysts.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Azzopardi, J.G. Problems in breast pathology. In: Major Problems in Pathology, Volume 11, W.B. Saunders, London, 1979.
Barwick, K.W., Kashgarian, M., and Rosen, P.P. “Clear cell” change within duct and lobular epithelium of the human breast. In: Pathology Annual, Vol. 17, Part I, Sommers, S.C., and Rosen, P.P., eds. Appleton-Century-Crofts, Norwalk, Connecticut, 19 , pp. 319–328.
Bonser, G.M., Dossett, J.A., and Jull, J.W. Human and experimental breast cancer. Pitman Medical, London, 1961.
Bussolati, G., Gugliotta, P., Sapino, A., Eusebi, V., and Lloyd, R.V. Chromogranin-reactive endocrine cells in argyrophilic carcinomas (“carcinoids”) and normal tissue of the breast. Am. J. Pathol. 120, 186–192, 1985.
Cross, A.S., Azzopardi, J.G., Krausz, T., Van Noorden, S., and Polak, J.M. A morphological and immunocytochemical study of a distinctive variant of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast. Histopathology 9 21–37, 1985.
Eusebi, V., Pich, A., Macchiorlatti, E., and Bussolati, G. Morpho-functional differentiation in lobular carcinoma of the breast. Histopathology 1, 301–314, 1977.
Eusebi, V., Betts, C.M., Haagensen, D.E., Gugliotta, P., Bussolati, G., and Azzopardi, J.G. Apocrine differentiation in lobular carcinoma of the breast. Hum. Pathol. 15, 134–140, 1984.
Fisher, E.R., Gregorio, R.M., and Fisher, B. The pathology of invasive breast cancer. Cancer 36, 261–263, 1975.
Fisher, E.R., Tavares, J., Bulatao, I.S., Sass, R., and Fisher, B. Glycogen-rich, clear-cell breast cancer. Hum. Pathol. 16, 1085–1090, 1985.
Frable, W.J., and Kay, S. Carcinoma of the breast: histologic anc clinical features of apocrine tumors. Cancer 21, 756–763, 1968.
Gad, A., and Azzopardi, J.G. Lobular carcinoma of the breast: a special variant of mucin-secreting carcinoma. J. Clin. Path. 28, 711–716, 1975.
Haagensen, C.D., Bodian, C., and Haagensen, D.E. Jr. Breast carcinoma: risk and detection. W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1981.
Hamperl, H. Das sogennante Schweissdrusencarcinoma der Mamma. Zeitschrift fur Krebsforschung 88, 105–119, 1977.
Junitti-Berggren, L., Pitkanen, P., and Wilander, E. Argyrophil endocrine cells with ACTH and HCG immunoreactivity in a carcinoma of the breast. Virchows Arch. (Cell Pathol.) 43, 37–42, 1983.
Love, S.M., Gelman, R.S., and Silen, W. Fibrocystic “disease” of the breast – a nondisease? N. Engl. J. Med. 307, 1010–1014, 1982.
Lukes, R.J. Criteria for involvement of lymph-node, bone marrow, spleen, and liver in Hodgkin’s disease. Cancer Research 31, 1755–1767, 1971.
Mazoujian, G., Warhol, H.J., and Haagensen, D.E. Jr. The ultrastructural localization of Gross Cystic Disease Fluid Protein (GCDFP-15) in breast epithelium. Am. J. Pathol. 116, 305–310, 1984.
Mazoujian, G., Pinkus, G.S., Davis, S., and Haagensen, D.E. Jr. Immunohistochemistry of a Gross Cystic Disease Fluid Protein (GCDFP-15) of the breast. Am. J. Pathol. 110, 105–112, 1983.
McDivitt, R.W., Stewart, F.W., and Berg, J.W. Tumors of the breast. In: Atlas of Tumor Pathology, fascicle 2, Armed Forces Institute Pathology, Washington, D.C., 1968.
Mossler, J.A., Barton, T.K., and Brinkhous, A.D. Apocrine differentiation in human mammary carcinoma. Cancer 46, 2463–2471, 1980.
Papotti, M., Gugliotta, P., Eusebi, V., and Bussolati, G. Immunohistochemical analysis of benign and malignant papillary lesions of the breast. Am. J. Surg. Pathol. 7, 451–561, 1983.
Pier, W.J., Garancis, J.C., and Kuzma, J.F. The ultrastructure of apocrine cells. Arch. Path. 89, 446–452, 1970.
Ramos, C.V. and Taylor, H.B. Lipid-rich carcinoma of the breast. A clinicopathologic analysis of 13 examples. Cancer 33, 812–816, 1974.
Skorpil, F. Uber das Vorkommen von sog.hellen Zellen (Lamprocyten) in der Milchdruse. Beitr. Pathol. Anat. Allg. Pathol. 108, 378–393, 1943.
Walker, R.A. The demonstration of α-lactalbumin in human breast carcinomas. J. Path. 129, 37–42, 1979.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1986 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cattani, M.G., Gugliotta, P., Foschini, M.P., Eusebi, V. (1986). The Spectrum of Apocrine Carcinoma of the Breast. In: Hollmann, K.H., Verley, J.M. (eds) New Frontiers in Mammary Pathology 1986. Developments in Oncology, vol 49. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3297-5_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3297-5_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7980-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3297-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive