Purpose: Tubular carcinoma of the breast is a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. The aim of this paper is to analyse its clinical and imaging findings and to review the radiological literature.
Materials and methods: A retrospective review of 560 consecutive histologically proven carcinomas of the breast was made.
Results: Sixteen pure (tubular component >90%) tubular carcinomas were found in 14 women (mean age 55 years). Three lesions were palpable. At mammography, five were not detected, three presented as spiculated masses, two as masses with irregular margins, two as spiculated masses with microcalcifications, two as distortions, one as a cluster of microcalcifications and one as asymmetric density. At ultrasonography, two lesions were not detected; the remaining presenting as hypoechoic nodules with irregular (13) or well-defined (one) contours. Fine-needle aspiration cytology diagnosed 11 carcinomas and two "atypical cells". In three, core biopsy was made: in the first, a complex sclerosing lesion with atypical cells was suggested, in the second differential diagnosis between tubular carcinoma and sclerosing adenosis was proposed and in the third a tubular carcinoma. The mean diameter of the lesions at histopathology was 9.7+/-4.9 mm. Metastatic nodes were found in one patient only.
Conclusions: Tubular carcinoma presents as a small, nonpalpable lesion, with nonspecific imaging patterns. Nodal metastases are rare.