Cribriform Carcinoma of the Breast
Differential Diagnosis
Tubular Carcinoma vs Cribriform Carcinoma
- Low grade cribriform carcinoma and tubular carcinoma both have nearly 100% survival
- We report mixtures of these two types simply as the predominant type
- 90% pure architectural pattern rule does not apply
| 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 |
| Cribriform Carcinoma | Collagenous Spherulosis |
|---|---|
| Grossly visible or palpable lesion | Nearly always an incidental microscopic finding |
| Invasive architecture | Circumscribed, intraductal or intralobular |
| May have intralumenal mucin but lacks fibrillar or laminated appearance | Frequently fibrillar or laminated spherules |
| Lacks myoepithelial component | Myoepithelial cells surround spherules |
| Nuclei slightly enlarged compared to normal (2-3 times larger than RBC) | Nuclei identical in size and appearance to normal |
