Sebaceous Carcinoma of the Breast: Fact or Fiction? A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

Int J Surg Pathol. 2021 Apr;29(2):211-215. doi: 10.1177/1066896920937784. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Abstract

Introduction. Previously considered an exceedingly rare entity, sebaceous carcinoma of the breast is now regarded in the World Health Organization 2019 classification as a "special histopathological pattern" of invasive breast carcinoma of no special type. Case Description. In this article, we report the case of a fine needle aspiration cytology and the histopathological features of a breast carcinoma with clear-cut morphological features suggesting sebaceous differentiation, but showing no positive staining with the anti-adipophilin antibody. Conclusions. A morphologically clear-cut sebaceous differentiation is not invariably associated with adipophilin positivity; moreover, in breast carcinoma, adipophilin positivity does not automatically imply sebaceous differentiation. At present, immunomorphological evidence for the recognition of sebaceous carcinoma as a "special type" breast carcinoma subtype is too weak.

Keywords: adipophilin; breast; carcinoma; fine needle aspiration cytology; immunohistochemistry; sebaceous carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle
  • Breast / pathology*
  • Breast / surgery
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / surgery
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / surgery
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mastectomy
  • Middle Aged
  • Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms / pathology
  • Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms / surgery
  • Sebaceous Glands / pathology*
  • Sebaceous Glands / surgery