Breast

The breast lump shows multiple small, blue-colored fluid-filled cysts. The adjacent breast tissue is somewhat fibrous. Since the introduction of mammographic and ultrasound imaging of the breast this condition can be diagnosed without having to perform surgical excision.
Fibrocystic change


Several biopsy specimens showing fibrocystic change of the breast. The scattered, poorly demarcated white areas represent foci of fibrosis. The biopsy specimen at the lower right reveals a transected empty cyst; those on the left have unopened blue dome cysts.
fibrocystic change of the breast

Fibrocystic disease

A 1.5 cm cyst is noted here. This can lead to palpation of an ill-defined "lump" in the breast. Sometimes, fibrocystic changes produce a more diffusely lumpy breast.
Fibrocystic disease showing variously sized, smooth-walled cysts with tendency for clustering.


There is fibrosis with dilation of ducts that produce micro- & a large cyst (Rt.) with visible lining epithelial cells.
Fibrocystic change

At low power, the prominent cysts of fibrocystic changes are shown. The cysts are lined by a single epithelial layer of varying height and reminiscent of apocrine sweat gland epithelium (apocrine metaplasia)
Fibrocystic changes Cystic dilatation and apocrine metaplasia



A, Mammographic appearance. B, Well-circumscribed gross appearance. C, Microscopic appearance. Some entrapped epithelial tissue is seen at edge of lesion, which is largely composed of dense fibrous tissue.
Fibrocystic change: predominance of fibrosis


The lumen of this duct is filled with a heterogeneous population of cells (epithelial & myoepithelial). Irregular slit-like fenestrations are prominent at the periphery.
Epithelial hyperplasia.

in this involved lobule note that the cells appear more pleomorphic and cohesive than those seen in lobular neoplasia & not all the lumina are completely obliterated .
Atypical lobular hyperplasia


The involved terminal duct lobular unit is enlarged, and the acini are compressed and distorted by the surrounding dense stroma. Although this lesion is frequently mistaken for an invasive carcinoma, unlike carcinomas, the acini are arranged in a swirling pattern, and the outer border is usually well circumscribed.
Sclerosing adenosis

Note that the lobular outline is still largely maintained

Sclerosing adenosis

Sclerosing adenosis: MP view. Note the spindle shape of the proliferating cells in the center of the lobule and the fibrillary quality of the cytoplasm, indicative of myoepithelial nature.
Sclerosing adenosis