Female Genital Tract II, Case 2 34-year-old woman presents with a palpable mass in the upper outer quadrant of her left breast. Palpation reveals a distinct, round, non-tender mass in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast. The lesion is firm, smooth, and movable (not fixed to the chest wall). The adjacent breast tissue is firm or rubbery and contains multiple small nodules of varying size. Both breasts contain firm, nodular tissue.

Describe the gross findings Fibrocystic Change - Breast The surgical specimen consists of fragments of breast tissue. Much of the normal fibrofatty tissue is replaced by dense, white fibrous tissue. This tissue contains small blue cysts (arrow). The fat is yellow.

Describe the gross findings Fibrocystic Change - Breast The specimen consists of a large section of breast. The normal tissue is replaced by extensive fibrous tissue which contains numerous cysts (arrows)

Describe the low power histologic findings

The microscopic section of the breast reveals fibrocystic change. The normal architecture is distorted by extensive fibrosis (pink) and numerous cysts of varying size. The largest cyst is lined by eosinophilic epithelium (apocrine hyperplasia). A – Cyst B – Fibrosis C – Cyst D - lobule

Describe the histologic findings Cysts lined by cells with apocrine metaplasia (abundant granular eosinophilic cytoplasm)