Definition
Glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma (GRCCC) occurs in many organs. GRCCC of the breast is an exceptionally rare subtype of infiltrative carcinoma in which more than 90% of the neoplastic cells have abundant clear cytoplasm containing glycogen (Eusebi et al. 2012). Extraction of the water-soluble glycogen during tissue processing gives the cytoplasm an optically clear, vacuolated appearance on tissue sections. It was first described by Hull in 1981 (Hull et al. 1981), and since then, fewer than 200 cases have been reported. According to Hull et al., the features of GRCCC are very similar to the morphology of the developing mammary gland in 13-week-old fetus.
The clinical features of GRCCC are similar to those of invasive carcinoma NOS.
Clinical Features
Incidence
According to the 2012 WHO classification, the incidence is estimated to be 1–3% of breast carcinoma cases when strict criteria are applied (Eusebi et al. 2012). In everyday practice, the frequency seems to be much...
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References and Further Reading
Eusebi, V., Ichihara, S., Vincent-Salomon, A., Sneige, N., & Sapino, A. (2012). Exceptionally rare types and variants. In S. R. Lakhani, I. O. Ellis, S. J. Schnitt, P. H. Tan, & M. J. van de Vijver (Eds.), WHO classification of tumours of the breast (pp. 74–75). Lyon: IARC.
Hayes, M. M. M., Seidman, J. D., & Ashton, M. A. (1995). Glycogen rich clear cell carcinoma of the breast. A clinicopathologic study of 21 cases. American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 19, 904–911.
Hull, M. T., Priest, J. B., Broadie, T. A., Ransburg, R. C., & Mc Carthy, L. J. (1981). Glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma of the breast: A light and electron microscopic study. Cancer, 48, 2003–2009.
Kim, Z. E., Koo, J. S., & Jung, W. H. (2012). Immunophenotypes of glycogen rich clear cell carcinoma. Yonsei Medical Journal, 53(6), 1142–1146.
Markopoulos, C., Mantas, D., Philipidis, T., Kouskos, E., Antonopoulou, Z., Hatzinikolaou, M. L., & Gogas, H. (2008). Glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma of the breast. World Journal of Surgical Oncology, 6, 44.
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Weingertner, N., Bellocq, Jp. (2018). Glycogen-Rich Clear Cell Carcinoma. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_4749-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_4749-1
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