Long-Standing Breast Mass in an Elderly Male: A Rare Case of Invasive Papillary Carcinoma
- 1Department of General Surgery, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
Male breast cancer (MBC) is an uncommon malignancy, accounting for <1% of all breast cancers and often presenting as a diagnostic challenge due to a lack of awareness and absence of screening in males. Invasive papillary carcinoma (IPC) is a rare subtype of MBC, constituting <3% of cases, typically showing strong hormone receptor positivity and better prognosis than other invasive subtypes. A 65-year-old male presented with a left breast lump for 15 years, with intermittent nonprogressive pain for 2 years. Clinical examination revealed a single, nonmobile, nontender mass measuring 2 cm × 1 cm in the upper inner quadrant of the left breast, with a normal nipple-areolar complex and no axillary lymphadenopathy. Ultrasonography showed a mixed solid-cystic lesion with internal vascularity and microcalcifications. FNAC indicated an atypical proliferative lesion/low-grade carcinoma. PET-CT confirmed a solitary FDG-avid lesion with no metastasis. ER and PR were strongly positive. Histopathology revealed Grade I IPC. The patient underwent a modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection. Final staging: pT2N0M0 (AJCC 8th edition). This case underscores the need to evaluate persistent breast lumps in males, regardless of duration. IPC carries a favorable prognosis when diagnosed early, and timely histopathological evaluation, along with surgical management, leads to optimal outcomes in MBC.
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BibTeX
@article{dnyanmote2026longstanding,
title = {{Long-Standing Breast Mass in an Elderly Male: A Rare Case of Invasive Papillary Carcinoma}},
author = {Anuradha Dnyanmote and I. A. M. Prashanth and Taduri Alekhya},
journal = {Annals of African Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.4103/aam.aam_88_26},
url = {https://doi.org/10.4103/aam.aam_88_26},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Long-Standing Breast Mass in an Elderly Male: A Rare Case of Invasive Papillary Carcinoma
AU - Anuradha Dnyanmote
AU - I. A. M. Prashanth
AU - Taduri Alekhya
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/20
JO - Annals of African Medicine
DO - 10.4103/aam.aam_88_26
UR - https://doi.org/10.4103/aam.aam_88_26
AB - Male breast cancer (MBC) is an uncommon malignancy, accounting for <1% of all breast cancers and often presenting as a diagnostic challenge due to a lack of awareness and absence of screening in males. Invasive papillary carcinoma (IPC) is a rare subtype of MBC, constituting <3% of cases, typically showing strong hormone receptor positivity and better prognosis than other invasive subtypes. A 65-year-old male presented with a left breast lump for 15 years, with intermittent nonprogressive pain for 2 years. Clinical examination revealed a single, nonmobile, nontender mass measuring 2 cm × 1 cm in the upper inner quadrant of the left breast, with a normal nipple-areolar complex and no axillary lymphadenopathy. Ultrasonography showed a mixed solid-cystic lesion with internal vascularity and microcalcifications. FNAC indicated an atypical proliferative lesion/low-grade carcinoma. PET-CT confirmed a solitary FDG-avid lesion with no metastasis. ER and PR were strongly positive. Histopathology revealed Grade I IPC. The patient underwent a modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection. Final staging: pT2N0M0 (AJCC 8th edition). This case underscores the need to evaluate persistent breast lumps in males, regardless of duration. IPC carries a favorable prognosis when diagnosed early, and timely histopathological evaluation, along with surgical management, leads to optimal outcomes in MBC.
SN - 1596-3519
SN - 0975-5764
ER -