Diagnosis and management of Rosai–Dorfman disease of the breast: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Rosai–Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare subtype of non–Langerhans cell histiocytosis. It is a benign disease with variable presentations, with breast involvement being an uncommon manifestation. In this paper, we present a case of breast RDD in a 59-year-old Chinese woman who presented with a painless, enlarging mass in her right breast, accompanied by skin changes and no palpable axillary lymph node. A mammogram and breast ultrasonography revealed a progressively enlarging lesion with a suspicious axillary lymph node, leading to an upgrade from Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BIRADS) score of 3 to 4A on interval imaging. Core biopsy of the breast mass and cytology of the right axillary lymph node confirmed extranodal RDD. After a 5-year period of observation, excision was performed due to persistent symptoms. Local recurrence of RDD, with skin discolouration and thickening, was confirmed by skin biopsy 1 year and 9 months after the operation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of breast RDD in Hong Kong.