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A case of amelanotic spindle‐cell melanoma presenting as metastases to breast and axillary lymph node: Diagnosis by FNA cytology
Author(s) -
Kobayashi Gregory,
Cobb Camilla
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
diagnostic cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1097-0339
pISSN - 8755-1039
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0339(200004)22:4<246::aid-dc10>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - medicine , fine needle aspiration , melanoma , pathology , epithelioid cell , axilla , biopsy , axillary lymph nodes , differential diagnosis , lymph node , amelanotic melanoma , axillary lymphadenopathy , metastasis , breast cancer , immunohistochemistry , cancer , cancer research
Metastatic neoplasms to the breast are relatively rare. Spindle‐cell lesions of the breast are also uncommon. Here we present a case of fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) of an amelanotic, spindle‐cell melanoma metastatic to the breast and axillary lymph node. The patient was a 47‐yr‐old female who presented with a right breast mass, left axillary adenopathy, and a pigmented skin lesion on the back. FNA of the right breast and left axilla showed malignant, nonpigmented spindle cells that were weakly positive for HMB‐45 on immunocytochemistry. The skin biopsy showed a pigmented malignant melanoma with epithelioid features, and also weak positivity for HMB‐45. Although malignant melanoma is one of the more common tumors to metastasize to the breast, this is the first known case that showed exclusive spindle‐cell morphology. History and physical examination were crucial in making the correct FNA diagnosis. The cytologic differential diagnosis of spindle‐cell tumors of breast and the discordant morphology between the primary and metastatic melanotic lesions observed in this case are discussed. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2000;22:246–249. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.