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Fine needle aspiration of breast masses in HIV‐infected patients
Author(s) -
Michelow Pam,
Dezube Bruce J,
Pantanowitz Liron
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
cancer cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.29
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1934-6638
pISSN - 1934-662X
DOI - 10.1002/cncy.20083
Subject(s) - medicine , fine needle aspiration , gynecomastia , population , cytopathology , breast cancer , tuberculosis , biopsy , lymphoma , radiology , pathology , cytology , cancer , environmental health
BACKGROUND: There are limited studies investigating the cytopathology of HIV‐related breast disease. The aim of the current study was to evaluate a large series of fine needle aspirations (FNA) performed on breast lesions in HIV‐positive patients. METHODS: A retrospective review at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) in Johannesburg, South Africa, was performed on confirmed HIV‐positive patients who underwent breast FNA. Cases were evaluated for patient age and sex, presence of a clinical breast lesion, antiretroviral therapy use, specimen adequacy, and cytologic diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 152 breast FNA procedures were recorded in patients of average age 36 years (range, 10‐64 years). Cytologic findings in 100 females patients included 28 inadequate aspirates, 29 cases with a benign diagnosis, 25 abscesses, 3 with reactive intramammary lymphadenopathy, 3 with fat necrosis, 1 galactocele, 1 papillary lesion, 8 breast carcinomas, and 2 non‐Hodgkin lymphomas. Fifty‐two males underwent breast FNA, of which 6 were inadequate, and 43 (82.7%) showed gynecomastia. In 17 (40%) males with gynecomastia, a history of antiretroviral therapy was recorded. Two males were diagnosed with breast abscess and 1 with Kaposi sarcoma. Microbiology culture revealed 7 Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections in this patient population. CONCLUSIONS: FNA is a procedure to evaluate breast lesions and is capable of rendering results useful for a broad range of diagnoses likely to be encountered in an human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐positive population. Unlike HIV‐infected females who may present with a wide range of benign and neoplastic breast entities, HIV‐positive males may have breast lesions that will most likely be attributed to gynecomastia associated with antiretroviral therapy. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.