The largest and heaviest giant juvenile fibroadenoma of the breast in the Chinese population: A case report

Abstract

Rationale: Fibroadenoma is the most common benign tumor of the breast, but giant juvenile fibroadenoma exceeding 20 cm is much rare. This report presents the largest and heaviest giant juvenile fibroadenoma in an 18-year-old Chinese girl.

Diagnosis and interventions: An 18-year-old adolescent girl with a 2-year history of a large left breast mass with progressive expansion over 11 months. A 28 × 21 cm soft swelling occupied the entire outer quadrants of the left breast. The huge mass sagged below the belly button, resulting in high asymmetry of the shoulders. Contralateral breast examination results were normal except for hypopigmentary detected on the nipple-areola complex. Under general anesthesia, the lump was completely excised along the outer envelope of the tumor, while reserving excessive resection of the skin. The patient's postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the surgical wound healed well.

Outcomes: A radial incision operation was finally performed to remove the huge mass and to preserve the normal breast tissue and the nipple-areolar complex, not only considering the aesthetics but also preserving the ability to lactate.

Lessons: Currently, there is a lack of clear guidelines regarding the diagnostic and treatment modalities for a giant juvenile fibroadenoma. The principle of surgical choice is to balance aesthetics and function preservation.