The Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation

September 2017

Fibromatosis of the Breast: Diagnostic Accuracy of Core Needle Biopsy

Author Information

Kuba MG(1), Lester SC(1), Giess CS(2), Bertagnolli MM(3), Wieczorek TJ(4), Brock JE(1)

(1)Department of Pathology.(2)Division of Breast Imaging, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.(3)Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Dana Farber-Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.(4)Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Boston, MA.

Publication

Am J Clin Pathol

Summary

Fibromatosis of the breast is an uncommon neoplasm with potential for local recurrence. Given the option of observation after diagnosis by core needle biopsy (CNB), we sought to evaluate the accuracy of CNB for diagnosing fibromatosis. We identified a total of 31 cases in which fibromatosis had been diagnosed or included in the differential diagnosis on a CNB, an excision, or both. Morphology and immunohistochemical results were reviewed. Of 26 cases confirmed as fibromatosis on excision, 22 (85%) were diagnosed as fibromatosis or fibromatosis was favored in the differential diagnosis on CNB. More frequent use of immunohistochemistry would likely have resulted in a greater number of definitive diagnoses. Fibromatosis was rarely mistaken for other nonmalignant stromal lesions, with no cases misdiagnosed as carcinoma. CNB can be an accurate method of diagnosing fibromatosis, allowing observation for a select group of patients.

View Abstract