Primary Breast Lymphoma: Case Report Of A Rare Pathological Entity

Primary breast lymphoma is a rare disease, which accounts for 0.4% of all malignancies seen in the breast and 2% of extranodal lymphomas. The majority of cases are B-cell lymphomas, with diffuse large cell (B) lymphoma the predominant histological type. A variety of treatment modalities have been suggested, with radiation therapy recommended for stage I patients and chemotherapy recommended for stage II patients. Outcome following treatment is predicted by the pathological grade of the tumor and the presence of lymph node involvement. Radical surgical resection including mastectomy has not been shown to affect the outcome of this entity. A 61-year-old woman presented with a one month history of a painful right breast lump. Examination identified the presence of two lumps which were biopsied, confirming the presence of a lymphocytic lymphoma expressing a B-cell phenotype with co-expression of CD 43 (MT-1) consistent with MALT-type lymphoma. She underwent further excision for recurrent tumor but declined adjuvant therapy. She has remained disease free during a 7-year follow up period. Primary breast lymphoma is a rare malignancy of the breast representing less than 2% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The features on clinical breast examination and imaging are not characteristic and cannot be differentiated from breast carcinoma. Treatment involves surgical resection with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy administered in selected cases. A 61-year-old woman presented with a one month history of a painful right breast lump. Examination identified the presence of two lumps which were biopsied, confirming the presence of a lymphocytic lymphoma expressing a B-cell phenotype with co-expression of CD 43 (MT-1) consistent with MALT-type lymphoma. She underwent further excision for recurrent tumor but declined adjuvant therapy. She has remained disease free during a 7-year follow up period. Primary breast lymphoma is a rare malignancy of the breast representing less than 2% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The features on clinical breast examination and imaging are not characteristic and cannot be differentiated from breast carcinoma. Treatment involves surgical resection with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy administered in selected cases.