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Fine‐needle aspiration cytology of suture granulomas of the breast: A potential pitfall in the cytologic diagnosis of recurrent breast cancer
Author(s) -
Maygarden Susan J.,
Novotny Debra B.,
Johnson Danna E.,
Powers Celeste N.,
Frable William J.
Publication year - 1994
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/dc.2840100218
Subject(s) - medicine , giant cell , pathology , nodule (geology) , granuloma , carcinoma , fine needle aspiration , cytopathology , breast carcinoma , axillary lymph node dissection , epithelioid cell , axillary lymphadenopathy , cytology , breast cancer , cancer , biopsy , immunohistochemistry , paleontology , sentinel lymph node , biology
Abstract The fine‐needle aspirates of three cases of suture granulomas of the breast area following mastectomy, lumpectomy, or axillary node dissection were reviewed. The original histologic diagnoses were mucinous (colloid) carcinoma, intraductal carcinoma, and low‐grade phyllodes tumor. In two patients a new nodule developed in the surgical scar, and in the third a nodule developed in the axilla 2 cm away from the scar. The cellularity of the aspirates ranged from low to moderate, and all three cases contained variable numbers of spindled cells and fragments of cellular stroma. Multinucleated giant cells characteristic of suture granulomas were absent in all cases. Abundant metachromatic amorphous background material was present in one case, which was interpreted as recurrent mucinous carcinoma. The remaining cases were interpreted as suspicious for recurrent neoplasm. Upon excision, all were suture granulomas with fibroblastic proliferation. Suture granulomas can both clinically and cytologically mimic recurrent malignancy. The predominance of spindled cells and dissimilarity to the original tumor appear to be the most helpful features to cytologically distinguish suture granuloma from recurrent carcinoma in the absence of the characteristic multinucleated giant cells. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.