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Cytological criteria distinguishing phyllodes tumour of the breast from fibroadenoma

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg; in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of
Medicine (Anatomical Pathology) 2015. / Cytological criteria distinguishing phyllodes tumour of the breast from fibroadenoma.
Fibroepithelial lesions of the breast include fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumours.
Fibroadenomas are benign tumours, whereas phyllodes tumours range from benign,
indolent neoplasms to malignant tumours capable of distant metastasis and
occasionally resulting in death.
The aim of this study was to determine whether there are statistically significant
differences between fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumours with regard to selected
cytological features.

A ten year retrospective review was performed of patients who had an excision of a
fibroadenoma or phyllodes tumour, and on whom a pre-operative fine needle
aspirate was performed. The following cytological criteria were assessed: number of
stromal and epithelial fragments, stromal to epithelial ratio, stromal cellularity,
Stromal borders, stromal atypia and proportion of background wavy spindled cells.
The patient age, tumour laterality and tumour size were recorded.

Fifty fibroadenomas and 17 phyllodes tumours were included. When compared with
phyllodes tumours, fibroadenomas had a larger number of epithelial fragments, a
smaller number of stromal fragments and a lower stromal to epithelial ratio. The
stroma tended to be less cellular and less atypical compared with phyllodes tumours
and the background cellular population contained less spindled cells.
Fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumours differ with regard to various cytological
features, possibly aiding in their distinction on fine needle aspiration biopsy. / AC2016

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/21596
Date January 2015
CreatorsMaritz, Robert, Myles
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Formatapplication/pdf

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