Published online Oct 16, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i29.8864
Peer-review started: May 31, 2021
First decision: June 24, 2021
Revised: July 5, 2021
Accepted: August 23, 2021
Article in press: August 23, 2021
Published online: October 16, 2021
Processing time: 137 Days and 3.3 Hours
Adenomyoepithelioma (AME) of the breast is a rare type of benign breast tumor. Many AMEs show benign behavior, but reports of the malignant type are rare. We present the case of a patient with AME with repeated local recurrences and further malignant transformation.
A 53-year-old woman visited our hospital with a 16-mm palpable mass in the right breast. A core needle biopsy was performed. The pathological diagnosis was AME. Lumpectomy with a safety margin was performed without axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Two years later, local recurrence developed, and the patient again underwent lumpectomy with a safety margin. The pathology showed malignant AME, and the margin was negative. Eight months later, local recurrence developed again in the same location, and a total mastectomy was performed without ALND. The pathological diagnosis was malignant AME. The patient was disease-free for three years posttreatment.
The treatment of AME requires caution, as it may exhibit repeated recurrences after local excision as well as malignant transformation.
Core Tip: Adenomyoepithelioma (AME) of the breast is a very rare type of benign tumor of the breast. Many AMEs demonstrate benign behavior and are often cured with excision with negative margins, but some AMEs exhibit malignant transformation of the myoepithelium, glandular epithelium, or both. We report the case of a patient with AME with repeated local recurrences and malignant transformation.