Mucinous Carcinoma of the Breast: Imaging Features and Pathological Correlation

Pure Mucinous Carcinoma of the Breast: Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation

Mucinous carcinoma (MC) of the breast is a rare, specialized subtype of invasive breast carcinoma (IBC) accounting for approximately 1% to 4% of all primary breast malignancies. Mucinous carcinoma occurs predominantly in patients who are postmenopausal or elderly. It is usually detected on screening mammography, but occasionally the patient may present with a palpable mass. The most common mammographic appearance is an equal to high density, oval or round mass with circumscribed or indistinct margins; MC can mimic a benign lesion. Histologically, MC is a well-differentiated cancer characterized by pools of mucin around neoplastic cells. Depending on mucin content, the tumor is classified as pure (≥90% mucin) or mixed (>10% and <90% mucin). Pure MCs (PMCs) are of low or intermediate nuclear grade, and the vast majority are hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor-2 receptor-negative (luminal A subtype). Pure MCs may be classified as hypocellular (type A) or hypercellular (type B) and have a lower rate of axillary lymph node involvement and more favorable prognosis than IBCs, no special type. The purpose of this article is to review the clinical features, imaging appearances, associated histopathology, and management of PMC.

Haematologist-reviewed peripheral blood smear in paediatric practice

Manual examination of the peripheral blood smear (PBS) is currently performed on a fraction of samples sent for automated complete cell count. 39 children (age range 0-16.2 years) referred to a private paediatric practice during a 16-month period were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical scenarios, haematological features, laboratory-initiated PBS review, haematologist's PBS review and final diagnosis were described. Clinical indications included isolated thrombocytopenia (n = 10), unexplained bruises (n = 5), acute febrile illnesses (n = 11), anaemia (n = 8) and others (n = 5). The laboratory reviewed the PBS in 30 cases according to preset criteria and made no conclusive remarks. All slides were reviewed by a haematologist and a diagnosis was made in 27 (69%) cases, including 7 (78%) of the nine slides the laboratory did not review. The practice of laboratory-initiated PBS review requires re-evaluation. Haematologist-reviewed PBS is an important diagnostic tool for children with anaemia, bleeding disorders and acute febrile illnesses.