Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju, Republic of Korea.
Department of Pathology, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju, Republic of Korea.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Jul 1;101(26):e29745. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000029745.
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the breast is a rare entity, with an estimated incidence of only 0.2% to 0.3% of all primary breast tumors. The radiological features of breast MEC have scarcely been investigated mainly because of its rarity. In this article, we present a case of breast MEC diagnosed at our hospital and review the literature, focusing on radiological findings and radiologic-pathologic correlations that could improve clinical management of this entity. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first review of the literature that focuses on the radiological features of breast MEC.
A 47-year-old premenopausal woman presented with a painless palpable mass in the right breast.
Mammography and ultrasonography revealed a mass with suspicious malignant features, which was categorized as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System category 4c. A 14-gauge core-needle biopsy revealed an intermediate-grade MEC of the breast. The patient underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging and chest computed tomography for preoperative evaluation. Postoperative histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of intermediate-grade MEC. The clinical staging was T2N0M0.
The patient underwent breast-conserving surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy.
No evidence of recurrence has been reported over 37 months.
The imaging characteristics of breast MEC were variable, and there were no specific radiological features for diagnosis. The presence of cystic components on radiological imaging is likely to be an indicator of a low-grade tumor and better prognosis, although the number of reported cases is limited.
乳腺黏液表皮样癌（MEC）是一种罕见的实体瘤，估计仅占所有原发性乳腺肿瘤的 0.2%至 0.3%。由于其罕见性，乳腺 MEC 的放射学特征尚未得到广泛研究。本文介绍了我院诊断的 1 例乳腺 MEC 病例，并对文献进行了复习，重点介绍了影像学表现和放射病理学相关性，这可能有助于改善对该疾病的临床管理。据我们所知，我们的研究是首次对乳腺 MEC 的放射学特征进行的文献综述。
一位 47 岁的绝经前女性因右侧乳腺无痛可触及肿块就诊。
乳腺 X 线摄影和超声检查显示肿块具有可疑恶性特征，被归类为乳腺影像报告和数据系统（BI-RADS）4c 类。14 号空心针活检显示乳腺中等级别 MEC。患者接受了乳腺磁共振成像和胸部计算机断层扫描以进行术前评估。术后组织病理学检查证实为中等级别 MEC。临床分期为 T2N0M0。
患者接受了保乳手术、辅助化疗、放疗和激素治疗。
37 个月后无复发证据。
乳腺 MEC 的影像学特征多种多样，没有特定的影像学特征用于诊断。放射影像学上存在囊性成分可能提示肿瘤分级较低、预后较好，但报道的病例数量有限。
