Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Breast
Differential Diagnosis
| Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma |
Cribriform Carcinoma |
| Cores of PASd positive basement membrane |
No basment membrane cores |
| Myoepithelial component present |
No myoepithelial component |
| ckit positive population |
No ckit positivity |
| Estrogen receptor generally negative |
Estrogen receptor uniformly positive |
| No DCIS |
DCIS may be present |
Low grade cribriform carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma both have nearly 100% survival
| Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma |
Collagenous Spherulosis |
| Grossly visible or palpable lesion |
Nearly always an incidental microscopic finding |
| Invasive architecture |
Circumscribed, intraductal or intralobular |
| Uniform cores of basement membrane material |
Variable, frequently fibrillar spherules |
| Nuclei slightly enlarged compared to normal |
Nuclei identical in size and appearance to normal |
| CD117 positive lumenal cells |
CD117 negative |
| Calponin, smooth muscle myosin negative (even myoepithelial component) |
Calponin, smooth muscle myosin positive |
Both contain myoepithelial and epithelial components
