Intracystic papillary breast carcinoma in a male patient: a case report and review of literature

Intracystic papillary carcinoma of the male breast: Dilemmas in diagnosis and management

Intracystic papillary carcinoma (IPC) is a rare malignancy of the breast which is usually found in postmenopausal women. It is still rarer in males and may present with signs of a benign cystic lump. It is sub-classified into three equally prevalent groups considering treatment strategies: intracystic papillary carcinoma alone, intracystic papillary carcinoma with ductal carcinoma in-situ, and those with evidence of invasion. Even if a preoperative diagnosis is achieved, there are no specific guidelines for the treatment of IPC. Treatment modalities including the extent of surgical excision, lymph node dissection, radiation, and chemotherapy are determined by the grade and size of the lesion and sub-types. However, several reports and studies showed good prognosis with conservative surgery without axillary dissection in IPC not associated with carcinoma in situ or micro-invasion. We present a 40 years old male patient with IPC who was managed by modified radical mastectomy and adjuvant hormone therapy. A brief review of the literature and clinical characteristics, pathology, and treatment of IPC are discussed.