A review of papillary breast carcinoma in women attending a breast imaging centre in Johannesburg

Background: Breast cancer ranks globally as the most prevalent cause of female deaths. Papillary breast carcinoma (PBC), a rare subtype of breast cancer, presents distinct challenges in diagnosis and management because of its unique histopathological features. Objectives: This study aims to determi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Musawenkosi M. Mthombeni, Nasreen Mahomed, Grace Rubin, Sharadini K. Gounden
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2025-05-01
Series:South African Journal of Radiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/3092
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: Breast cancer ranks globally as the most prevalent cause of female deaths. Papillary breast carcinoma (PBC), a rare subtype of breast cancer, presents distinct challenges in diagnosis and management because of its unique histopathological features. Objectives: This study aims to determine the prevalence and main imaging findings of PBC in women attending a tertiary breast imaging centre. Method: A retrospective review of mammography and ultrasound imaging findings of female patients with histologically proven PBC, referred to a tertiary breast imaging centre over a 5-year period, was conducted. Results: The study included 102 female patients with a mean age of 53.8. Mammography detected masses in 93.02%, with calcifications in 41.2% and abnormal borders in 56.8%. Architectural distortion and asymmetry occurred in 27.5% and 28.4% respectively, both showing moderate correlation with PBC (r = 0.50, p = 0.009; r = 0.51, p = 0.0057). Ultrasound findings indicated irregular mass shapes (mean = 1.53), with hypoechoic patterns significantly associated with PBC (r = 0.40, p = 0.0013). Correlation analysis revealed strong associations between PBC and breast pain (r = 0.74, p  0.0001), and erythema (r = 0.62, p  0.0001). There was no significant association between the mammography and ultrasound findings (p = 0.495). Conclusion: The findings underscore the value of using mammography and ultrasound in the diagnosis of PBC, as the two modalities offer complementary information. Contribution: There is a paucity of data on the radiological findings of PBC in Africa. The current study prevalence mirrors global trends, highlighting the importance of ongoing surveillance and diagnostic accuracy.
ISSN:1027-202X
2078-6778