Other sclerosing lesions:
Sclerosing adenosis
- Usually incidental but may be a mass lesion
- Often associated calcs - picked up on screening
- May be confused with cancers histologically
- Low power view critical to make correct diagnosis.....
- note the nodular arrangement of crowded acini
- The edge of a focus may be apparently infiltrative but less so than many low grade carcinomas
- At high power the glands are very crowded and may be cytologically atypical
- Around some glands at least you should be able to see a compressed myoepithelial layer
- Immunostaining shows an intact myoepithelial layer e.g. with CK 5/6
Low power view of a focus of sclerosing adenosis (blue circle) - the background lesion has a vaguely stellate architecture and it is
likely that in this case the focus of sclerosing adenosis was part of an early radial scar
 |
Medium power views of a focus of sclerosing adenosis
 |
Low power view of two adjacent nodular foci of sclerosing adenosis
 |
Medium power view of one of the nodules above
 |
Immunohistochemistry for CK 5/6 showing preservation of myoepithelial layer throghout area of sclerosing adenosis
 |
Unusual variant of sclerosing adenosis - note prominent 'myoid' differentiation of myoepithelial cells demonstrated clearly by smooth muscle actin imunostain
Click on each thumbnail to see the full sized image then click the 'Back' button to return to this page.
Atypical apocrine sclerosing lesion
- Sclerosing adenosis lesion with superimposed apocrine metaplasia
- Atypia may be moderately severe - distinction from apocrine DCIS (with lobular cancerisation) may be difficult
- Immunostaining will demonstrate an intact myoepithelial layer and basement membrane
- Follow up of patients showed no greater cancer risk than other atypical lesions
- The example below is from a large lesion with the architecture of a radial scar - much smaller microscopic lesions may also be seen
Atypical apocrine sclerosing lesion
Note overall pattern of a radial scar with superimposed apocrine metaplasia
 |
Atypical apocrine sclerosing lesion - detail showing crowded glands with apocrine atypia
 |
Atypical apocrine sclerosing lesion - CK 5/6 staining highlights overall lobular pattern (left); detail (right)
 |
 |
Microglandular adenosis
- Pseudo-infiltrative lesion that may be mistaken for carcinoma
- Glands lined by a monolayer of bland epithelial cells
- Lumens contain PAS positive secretory material
- Myoepithelial layer absent but dense basement membrane present
- Epithelial layer stains strongly positive with S100
- Probable increased risk of subsequent carcinoma - follow up recommended
Microglandular adenosis - low power view showing haphazard arrangement of glands apparently infiltrating stroma
 |
Microglandular adenosis - ducts lined by a single epithelial cell layer and conaining secretory material. Stroma is non-reactive
 |
 |