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Breast hamartoma

Case contributed by Ryan Logan Webb
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Incidental finding on trauma evaluation.

Patient Data

Age: 25 years
Gender: Female
ct

Circumscribed 4 cm lesion within the right lateral breast containing fat and soft tissue elements. The lesion has a "breast within a breast" appearance. A thin encapsulative rim is faintly visible. The lesion contrasts against this patient's otherwise extremely dense breast tissue.

Case Discussion

Breast hamartoma is a benign lesion that, similar to a visceral hamartoma, comprises elements of its tissue origin growing in a disorganized manner. This includes fat, glandular, and fibrous elements all of which are visible within the lesion. The imaging appearance is pathognomonic, permitting confident radiologic diagnosis. Breast hamartoma generally requires no treatment other than for purposes of cosmesis in cases of large lesions. There is potential for malignant transformation of hamartoma at a rate similar to the normal breast tissue, therefore rapidly growing lesions should be biopsied.

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