Breast lymphoma

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Breast lymphoma refers to involvement of the breast with lymphoma.

Pathology

~~Breast lymphomas can~~ and may be ~~either~~ primary or secondary. ~~Both~~

Epidemiology

Both primary and secondary breast lymphoma are rare accounting for ~ 0.5% (range 0.3-1.1%) of allbreast malignancies.

Clinical presentation

~~Primary~~Breast lymphoma may present either as a palpable mass or as diffuse thickening of the breast. Axillary lymph nodesis are often enlarged.

Pathology

Primary breast lymphoma

Primary lymphoma is less common than secondary lymphoma, and is typically a B cell type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the breast represents only ~~about~~~ 0.25% (range 0.12-0.53%) of all reported malignant breast tumors.

For a tumour to be labeled as a primary breast lymphoma it is required to fulfill the following criteria ⁵:

disease should be in the breast or in close proximity to breast tissue
no evidence of widespread disease should be there
no previous history of lymphoma
ipsilateral lymph nodes may be involved if developing simultaneously with primary breast tumor.

Secondary breast lymphoma

Secondary lymphoma of the breast, is also more frequently NHL than Hodgkin lymphoma.

~~The axillary nodes are often large. It may present either as a palpable mass or as diffuse thickening of the breast.~~

Radiographic features

There is no single imaging finding diagnostic of lymphoma. Biopsy is typically required for diagnosis. Enlarged intramammary lymph nodes may be seen, but these are nonspecific.

Mammography

It can have variable mammographic appearances but usually it manifests ~~with~~as a mass or with diffuse marked increase in parenchymal density (often can be bilateral).

Ultrasound

The sonographic appearance is most often that of a solid hypoechoic mass, which is again ~~non specific~~nonspecific.

Both radiologic and clinical appearance are similar to carcinoma and therefore the differential diagnosis is difficult. Microcalcifications are not a usual feature in lymphoma.

Differential diagnosis

Mammographic findings are nonspecific and the following should be considered ⁹:

primary breast cancer
fibroadenoma
phyllodes tumour
metastatic disease

-<p><strong>Breast lymphoma</strong> refers to involvement of the breast with <a href="/articles/lymphoma">lymphoma</a>.</p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>Breast lymphomas can be either <strong>primary </strong>or <strong>secondary</strong>. Both are rare accounting for 0.3-1.1% of all breast malignancies.</p><p><a href="/articles/primary-lymphoma-of-the-breast">Primary lymphoma of the breast </a>is less common than secondary lymphoma, and is typically a B cell type of <a href="/articles/non-hodgkin-lymphoma">non-Hodgkin's lymphoma</a> (NHL). Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the breast represents only about 0.12-0.53% of all reported malignant breast tumors.</p><p>For a tumour to be labeled as a primary breast lymphoma it is required to fulfill the following criteria <sup>5</sup>:</p><ul>
+<p><strong>Breast lymphoma</strong> refers to involvement of the <a href="/articles/breast">breast</a> with <a href="/articles/lymphoma">lymphoma</a> and may be <strong>primary</strong> or <strong>secondary</strong>. </p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>Both primary and secondary breast lymphoma are rare accounting for ~ 0.5% (range 0.3-1.1%) of all <a href="/articles/breast-neoplasms">breast malignancies</a>.</p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Breast lymphoma may present either as a palpable mass or as diffuse thickening of the breast. <a title="Axillary lymph nodes" href="/articles/axillary-nodes">Axillary lymph nodes</a> are often enlarged. </p><h4>Pathology</h4><h5>Primary breast lymphoma</h5><p>Primary lymphoma is less common than secondary lymphoma, and is typically a B cell type of <a href="/articles/non-hodgkin-lymphoma">non-Hodgkin's lymphoma</a> (NHL). Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the breast represents only ~ 0.25% (range 0.12-0.53%) of all reported malignant breast tumors.</p><p>For a tumour to be labeled as a primary breast lymphoma it is required to fulfill the following criteria <sup>5</sup>:</p><ul>
~~-<li>no previous history of lymphoma </li>~~
~~-<li>ipsilateral lymph nodes may be involved if developing simultaneously with primary breast tumor.</li>~~
-</ul><p><a href="/articles/secondary-lymphoma-of-the-breast">Secondary lymphoma of the breast</a>, is also more frequently NHL than <a href="/articles/hodgkin-s-lymphoma">Hodgkin lymphoma</a>. </p><p>The axillary nodes are often large. It may present either as a palpable mass or as diffuse thickening of the breast.</p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><p>There is no single imaging finding diagnostic of lymphoma.</p><h5>Mammography</h5><p>It can have variable mammographic appearances but usually it manifests with a diffuse marked increase in parenchymal density (often can be bilateral).</p><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>The sonographic appearance is most often that of a solid hypoechoic mass which is again non specific.</p><p>Both radiologic and clinical appearance are similar to carcinoma and therefore the differential diagnosis is difficult. Microcalcifications are not a usual feature in lymphoma. </p><h4>See also</h4><ul><li><a href="/articles/breast-neoplasms">breast cancer</a></li></ul>
+<li>no previous history of <a title="lymphoma" href="/articles/lymphoma">lymphoma</a>
+</li>
+<li>ipsilateral lymph nodes may be involved if developing simultaneously with primary breast tumor</li>
+</ul><h5>Secondary breast lymphoma</h5><p><a href="/articles/secondary-lymphoma-of-the-breast">Secondary lymphoma of the breast</a>, is also more frequently NHL than <a href="/articles/hodgkin-s-lymphoma">Hodgkin lymphoma</a>. </p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><p>There is no single imaging finding diagnostic of lymphoma. Biopsy is typically required for diagnosis. Enlarged <a title="Intramammary lymph nodes" href="/articles/intramammary-lymph-nodes">intramammary lymph nodes</a> may be seen, but these are nonspecific. </p><h5>Mammography</h5><p>It can have variable mammographic appearances but usually it manifests as a mass or with diffuse marked increase in parenchymal density (often can be bilateral).</p><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>The sonographic appearance is most often that of a solid hypoechoic mass, which is again nonspecific.</p><p>Both radiologic and clinical appearance are similar to carcinoma and therefore the differential diagnosis is difficult. Microcalcifications are not a usual feature in lymphoma. </p><h4>Differential diagnosis</h4><p>Mammographic findings are nonspecific and the following should be considered <sup>9</sup>:</p><ul>
+<li>primary <a title="Breast cancer" href="/articles/breast-neoplasms">breast cancer</a>
+</li>
+<li><a title="Breast fibroadenoma" href="/articles/fibroadenoma-of-the-breast-1">fibroadenoma</a></li>
+<li><a title="Phyllodes tumour" href="/articles/phyllodes-tumour">phyllodes tumour</a></li>
+<li>metastatic disease</li>
+</ul><h4>See also</h4><ul><li><a href="/articles/breast-neoplasms">breast cancer</a></li></ul>

References changed:

9. Zack JR, Trevisan SG, Gupta M. Primary breast lymphoma originating in a benign intramammary lymph node. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2001;177 (1): 177-8. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2214/ajr.177.1.1770177">doi:10.2214/ajr.177.1.1770177</a> - <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11418422">Pubmed citation</a><span class="auto"></span>

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