Apocrine Carcinoma of the Breast
Definition
- Breast carcinoma with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, large round nuclei and sharp cell borders
Alternate / Historical Names
- Carcinoma with apocrine metaplasia
- Sweat gland carcinoma of the breast
Diagnostic Criteria
- Clinically significant criteria have not generally been agreed upon
- Most describe some degree of abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, sharp cell borders, round nuclei and prominent nucleoli
- Some simply refer to GCDFP15 positive carcinomas as apocrine
- Japaze 2005 has proposed the following criteria:
- At least 75% of microscopic fields must demonstrate the following features:
- Large cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm
- Usually granular
- Nucleus to cytoplasm ratio of 1:2 or more
- Nuclei round, large and vesicular
- May be pleomorphic
- Sharply defined cell borders
- Large cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm
- Minor (non-mandatory) criteria
- Prominent nucleoli in >50% of fields
- Apical cytoplasmic snouts into lumenal spaces
- Japaze 2005 reported significantly improved survival when apocrine carcinomas were defined as above
- At least 75% of microscopic fields must demonstrate the following features:
Richard L Kempson MD
Robert V Rouse MD
Department of Pathology
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford CA 94305-5342
Original posting:: May 1, 2006
Updates: February 9, 2009