Tubular carcinoma of the breast: mammographic, sonographic, clinical, and pathologic findings

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine and quantitate the radiological characteristics of tubular carcinoma of the breast, to report clinical and pathologic findings, and to define findings at follow-up. Materials and methods A retrospective review of records of 2872 women who received a diagnosis of breast carcinoma between January 1988 and January 2006 revealed 32 histopathologically proven pure tubular carcinoma of the breast. Analysis included history; findings at physical examination, mammography, and ultrasonography (US) at the time of diagnosis and in postoperative follow-up and histopathological results. Results Fifty-nine percent of the patients ( n =19) presented with a palpable mass. The mammographic findings were a mass in 23 (72%), a mass with microcalcifications in 2 (6%), asymmetric focal density in 1 (3%), architectural distortion in 1 (3%), and negative in 5 (16%) of the 32 patients. Most (96%) masses had spiculated margins. US depicted 30 masses in 29 patients, all of which were hypoechoic, mostly ( n =27, 90%) with posterior acoustic shadowing. The cancer was clinically occult in 41% ( n =13), mammographically occult in 16% ( n =5), and sonographically occult in 6% ( n =2) of the patients. Histologically, the tumor was multifocal in 3% ( n =1) of the patients. Four (13%) patients developed contralateral breast carcinoma at follow-up. Conclusion Tubular carcinoma has a variety of presentations, but it is mostly seen on mammography as a small spiculated mass and on sonography as an irregular mass with posterior acoustic shadowing. Although tubular carcinoma is known as a well-differentiated tumor with excellent prognosis, the mammographic follow-up of the contralateral breast is important.