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MALE BREAST CANCER
Author(s) -
Scheike Ole,
Visfeldt Jakob
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica section a pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0365-4184
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1973.tb03546.x
Subject(s) - gynecomastia , medicine , breast cancer , male breast cancer , atypia , klinefelter syndrome , gynecology , cancer , dermatology , pathology
In order to elucidate the question of whether or not gynecomastia is a premalignant state, a Danish series comprising 265 cases of male breast cancer was reviewed with regard to a previous history of gynecomastia and the finding of clinical gynecomastia on admission. Furthermore, preparations from 187 cases of the same series were assessed with a view to the presence of histologically verified gynecomastia. In 10 patients there was a history of gynecomastia; only one patient presented clinical gynecomastia on admission. In 79 cases there was sufficient breast tissue for a histological study; this revealed gynecomastia in 21 cases, 6 of which were of florid type (type I) and 15 of quiescent fibrous type (type II). In 2 cases ducts with severe atypia of the epithelium were found, but in spite of investigations of serial sections no transition into invasive growth was revealed. It is concluded that the following features seem to support the theory that gynecomastia, may be a premalignant state: A, the finding of severe atypia of the epithelium in the ducts in concurrent gynecomastia and breast cancer; B. lower mean age in cases of breast cancer with concurrent gynecomastia; C. the higher ratio of male to female breast cancer and the low mean age of the male patients in an area with a high frequency of gynecomastia; D. heavily increased frequency of breast cancer in patients with the Klinefelter syndrome.