Fibroadenoma Arising in Axillary Ectopic Breast Tissue. A Diagnostic Challenge

Cureus. 2023 Mar 23;15(3):e36594. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36594. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Ectopic or accessory breast tissue may occur in primitive embryonic milk lines or locations other than the milk line. The same pathology arising in breast tissue may occur less frequently in ectopic breast tissue. Fibroadenomas rarely occur in ectopic breast tissue, with less than 50 reported cases in the English literature, despite being the most common benign breast neoplasms. Diagnosing fibroadenoma in ectopic breast tissue can be challenging due to the lack of clinical suspicion and the atypical findings in imaging studies. Treatment consists of surgical excision. In this manuscript, we present a case of a 24-year-old patient with a fibroadenoma of the left axilla arising in bilateral axillary ectopic breast tissue, and we comprehensively review the literature.

Keywords: accessory breast; axillary fibroadenoma; ectopic breast tissue; fibroadenoma; supernumerary breast.

Publication types

  • Case Reports