Paget's disease of the male breast

First report of bilateral synchronous male accessory breast cancer

Accessory breast occurs due to the persistence of milk line in the non-thoracic region. Malignant transformation in male accessory breast is very rare, with 16 reports documented across the world. No bilateral synchronous accessory male breast cancer has been reported. We present the first case reported globally of a man in his 70s with a complaint of left axillary lump and chronic rash for 3 years. About 1 year ago, additional reddish rash was detected in the right axilla. Initial skin biopsy from a private hospital confirmed mammary carcinoma with skin invasion. Subsequent left breast mastectomy with left axillary lymph node dissection and right wide excision was performed. Final pathological result was grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma in the left accessory breast and Paget's disease in the contralateral axilla. Postoperative treatment of adjuvant paclitaxel and trastuzumab was prescribed, which was followed by adjuvant radiation therapy.

Paget's disease of the breast in male with underlying invasive ductal carcinoma: A case report with review of literature

Introduction

Paget's disease of the breast is a rare cutaneous eczema-like condition that occurs in the nipple-areolar complex of the breast. The current study aims to report a rare case of Paget's disease of the breast associated with invasive ductal carcinoma in a male breast.

Case report

A 54-year-old male presented with ulceration of the left nipple-areolar complex that has been progressing over the last 6 months. On examination; there was a palpable axillary lymph node. On ultrasound, a small hypoechoic heterogenous mass was seen beneath the areola (8*4 mm) with surrounding vascularity, and a few axillary lymph nodes with normal morphology and cortical thickness. The mammography revealed some points of calcification arranged in clusters. The patient underwent left side mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. The result of histopathological examination showed left side unifocal invasive ductal carcinoma.

Discussion

There are two main theories that explain the histogenesis of Paget's disease of the breast with and without underlying malignancy: epidermotropic theory, which suggests an epidermal infiltration of the nipple with Paget cells, and transformative theory, which proposes a malignant transformation of normal glandular cells of the epidermis.

Conclusion

The clinical presentation of Paget's disease of the breast is characteristic and should always warn the surgeon of the possibility of underlying malignancy.

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Paget's disease of the breast (or nipple) is a very rare cutaneous entity.

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Paget's disease of the male breast is an extremely rare clinicopathologic condition.

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Breast cancer in male is likewise very rare.

Male Mammary Paget Disease: A Tale of 2 Contrasting Cases

Mammary Paget disease (MPD) comprises 1.45% all male breast cancers, compared with only 0.68% of all female breast cancers. Patients usually present in the fifth and sixth decades of life with ulceration, eczematous changes, discharge, bleeding, itching, and induration of the nipple and areola. Typically, there is a delay in definitive diagnosis and treatment from the onset of symptoms because most patients are initially treated for a rash. At the time of diagnosis, about half of the patients may have palpable breast mass, positive lymph nodes, or both. In this article, we present 2 cases of male MPD representing the extremes of clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic spectrum of the disease. One patient presented with a rash of the nipple of several months duration without an underlying lesion, whereas the other presented with sensitivity and pain of the nipple for 1 year and an underlying mass. Biopsies were diagnostic of MPD in both cases, and definitive surgery revealed an underlying ductal carcinoma in situ in the first case and an invasive ductal carcinoma in the second, highlighting the importance of early biopsy to initiate appropriate management.

Paget's disease of the male breast: a case report

The patient was a 91-year-old man with change in nipple appearance, itching and redness, and a palpable breast mass. At presentation, mammary Paget’s disease (PD) was clinically suspected. Skin biopsy was performed and showed epidermis invaded by Paget cells, characterized by hyperchromatic nuclei and abundant pale-staining cytoplasm. Computed tomography and mammary ultrasonography confirmed the absence of an underlying invasive carcinoma, and the patient underwent right mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Both sentinel lymph nodes were found to be negative perioperatively, and further axillary dissection was not performed. Pathological results revealed no malignancy under the nipple, yet the Paget cells were more widely spread than expected. The patient was followed up without the need of postoperative chemotherapy. Male mammary PD is an extremely rare breast cancer, and there is no standard preoperative assessment or operative procedure. Mammography is many times unable to detect possible underlying breast carcinoma in female patients with mammary PD, and previous studies have reported that the detection rate was less than 50 %. However, some researchers reported that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might be more detectable to confirm the extent of the cancer. The extent of the skin change around the nipple is often different from the actual perimeter of Paget cells. In extra-mammary PD, mapping biopsy is known to be useful to determine areas free of cancer. The benefits of SLNB have also been demonstrated for the management of less invasive breast cancers, and previous reports have shown that the use of SLNB is reasonable for treatment of mammary PD without underlying invasive cancer. MRI, mapping biopsy, and SLNB are all less invasive procedures and thus may be suitable for treatment of male mammary PD.

[Male breast diseases]

Because andrology is relatively undeveloped in France, the dermatologist is often the doctor first consulted for diseases of the nipple in men. All dermatological diseases can in fact occur at this site. There are some specific nipple diseases such as gynaecomastia, congenital abnormalities, hyperplasia, benign tumours and breast cancer. All clinical examinations and laboratory examinations should focus on diagnosis of this type of cancer and its elimination.

Paget's disease of the breast in a male with lymphomatoid papulosis: a case report

Introduction

Paget's disease is an eczematous skin change of the nipple that is usually associated with an underlying breast malignancy. Male breast cancer represents only 1-3% of all breast malignancies and Paget's disease remains very rare.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 67-year-old Caucasian man with lymphomatoid papulosis who was diagnosed with Paget's disease of the nipple and who was treated successfully with surgery alone. We discuss the presentation, investigations, management and pathogenesis of Paget's disease of the nipple.

Conclusion

The case highlights the need to be vigilant when new skin lesions arise in the context of an underlying chronic skin disorder.

Mammary and extramammary Paget's disease

Paget's disease is an intra-epidermal adenocarcinoma seen over the nipple/areola (mammary Paget's disease) or in extramammary body zones, such as the anogenital and perineal skin and the axilla. Mammary and extramammary Paget's disease share many common clinicopathological features but also show several differences, namely, with regard to pathogenesis and association with underlying malignancies. Indeed, mammary Paget's disease is as a rule associated with an underlying breast carcinoma whereas association of extramammary Paget's disease with underlying (skin or visceral) malignancies occurs much less frequently. We review here the main clinicopathological and therapeutic features of mammary and extramammary Paget's disease.

Paget's disease of the breast

Paget's disease of the breast is a rare disorder of the nipple-areola complex that is often associated with an underlying in situ or invasive carcinoma. A change in sensation of the nipple-areola, such as itching and burning, is a common presenting symptom. Objectively, eczematoid changes of the nipple-areola complex are common. The later stages of Paget's disease of the breast are characterized by ulceration and destruction of the nipple-areola complex. Eczematoid changes of the nipple-areola complex and persisting soreness or itching, without obvious reason, is a suspicious symptom for Paget's disease of the breast and calls for thorough evaluation, including mammography. Exfoliative cytology with demonstration of Paget's cells may be useful, but a negative finding does not exclude Paget's disease of the breast. Surgical biopsy is the diagnostic standard and therefore the diagnosis should always be confirmed by open (surgical) biopsy. The histogenesis of Paget's disease of the breast continues to be debated. The epidermotropic theory holds that Paget's cells are ductal carcinoma cells that have migrated from the underlying breast parenchyma to the nipple epidermis. According to the in situ transformation theory, the Paget's cells arise as malignant cells in the nipple epidermis independent from any other pathologic process within the breast parenchyma. This theory has been proposed to explain those cases in which there is no underlying mammary carcinoma or when there is a carcinoma remote from the nipple-areola complex. Each of these theories is plausible; however, treatment approaches differ markedly depending on the theory of histogenesis. Mastectomy has been considered the standard of care in the management of patients with Paget's disease of the breast. Nowadays, however, some patients with Paget's disease of the breast are candidates for breast-conserving therapy. Patients must be selected carefully on an individual basis. Until there is a better understanding of the relationship of Paget's disease of the breast to the underlying cancer the surgeon should understand the natural history and behaviour of this lesion and be aware of both the risks of under- and over-treating patients with Paget's disease of the breast.

Male Paget's disease of the breast

BACKGROUND

Paget's disease is an extremely rare condition of the male breast that presents as an eczematous change of the nipple and areola. It is almost always associated with an underlying intraductal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE

A case of Paget's disease of the male breast with extension into adnexal structures is reported.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A MEDLINE search for cases of Paget's disease of the male breast was performed and the cases were reviewed. The following antibodies were used in immunohistochemical staining: Rabbit Anti-Human c-erbB-2 Oncoprotein, monoclonal Mouse Anti-Human Estrogen Receptor (IgG1, kappa), and monoclonal Mouse Anti-Human Progesterone Receptor (Clone PgR 636).

RESULTS

This is only the 43rd histologically proven case of Paget's disease of the male breast in the world literature and, to our knowledge, the first to document extension of Paget's cells into adnexal structures, including eccrine glands.

CONCLUSION

Mammary Paget's disease is a rare phenomenon among men.

Paget's disease of the nipple-areola complex

The histogenesis of Paget's disease has been hotly debated, and only recently has epidermotropic theory become widely accepted. With the evolution of our understanding of breast cancer, it became apparent that the prognosis of Paget's disease was more a reflection of that of the underlying carcinoma, be it intraductal or infiltrating. The standard treatment of Paget's disease remains mastectomy with or without axillary dissection. In this era of breast-conserving surgery, however, there is much evidence to suggest that conservative treatment of Paget's disease of the breast is possible. A breast-conserving algorithm for the treatment of Paget's disease of the breast is proposed. Further refinements or modifications to the algorithm should be made as data from ongoing trials redefine our understanding of breast pathology and treatment.

Breast cancer in men

Aside from its much lower frequency, breast cancer in men is remarkably similar to the disease in women. The cause remains equally obscure; the clinical presentation, pathology, and natural history are similar; and men are probably as curable in similar circumstances. Men are generally older and in more advanced stages than women when diagnosed, the tumors are located more often beneath the nipple and are more often responsive to hormonal therapy, but otherwise differences are negligible. Stage and axillary node status are strong prognostic indicators. Modified radical mastectomy has replaced radical mastectomy for surgical treatment of early states, and systemic adjuvant therapy appears to improve the prognosis for cases with involvement of lymph nodes.

Paget's disease of the breast in a man without underlying breast carcinoma

A case of histologically confirmed Paget's disease of the breast in a 72 year old man, without underlying breast carcinoma, is reported. This report raises questions about the pathogenesis of this condition and suggests that Paget's disease is an independent, intraepidermal carcinoma rather than a direct extension of intraductal carcinoma of the breast to the nipple and areola.

Histologic types and hormone receptors in breast cancer in men: a population-based study in 282 United States men

Histologic slides from 282 incident cases of breast cancer in men, that were identified in 10 population-based cancer registries in the United States, were reviewed by a single pathologist. Breast cancer more often presented in the noninvasive stage in men (10.8 percent of all cases) than would be expected among women. All noninvasive carcinomas were of the ductal type. Of invasive carcinomas, compared with women, men had smaller proportions of lobular and mucinous types and larger proportions of ductal and papillary types and Paget's disease. No case of tubular or medullary carcinoma was seen. The breast in men is composed only of ducts and normally contains no lobules, and the histologic types of breast carcinomas that predominate in men are likely of ductal origin. Estrogen and progesterone receptors were present in 86.7 percent and 76.3 percent of invasive carcinomas, respectively, which are higher proportions than would be expected among women. Also, unlike findings in women, receptor content was not associated with patient age at diagnosis.