Profile of breast pathology at Asir Central hospital: review of 312 breast biopsies

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study is to report the pattern of breast pathology among 312 patients from Asir Area during a period of 8 1/2 years (January 1987 to June 1995). We hope that the report will initiate further studies on the natural history of breast lesions including breast carcinoma which is the second leading cause of cancer among female patients from the Asir region. Results: The Department of Histopathology of Asir Central Hospital in Abha City, Asir province, received and processed all breast specimens. Almost 39%, 27%, 19%, and 13% of the cases were inflammatory, benign neoplasms, malignant neoplasms and fibrocystic changes of the breast respectively. The overall Saudi to non-Saudi ratio was 2.6:1. while the partial ones were 4:1, 3.4:1, 1.2:1 and 1:1 for the inflammatory, benign neoplasm, malignant neoplasm and fibrocystic lesions respectively. Both the inflammatory and benign breast lesions were frequent in the third decade of age, while the malignant neoplasms were prevalent in the fifth decade. The commonnest inflammatory, benign neoplasm, and malignant neoplasm lesion were breast abscess, fibroadenoma, and infiltrating ductal carcinoma respectively. Conclusions: The inflammatory lessions are the commonest breast pathology among female patients in Asir area followed by benign neoplasms, malignancy and fibrocyctic changes.