Clinicopathological characterization of tall cell carcinoma with reversed polarity of the breast: A case report and review of the litterature.

Introduction: Tall cell carcinoma of the breast with reverse polarity (TCCRP) is a recently described rare entity with low potential for malignancy which exhibits morphological features with tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Immunohistochemical and molecular studies help establish the diagnosis.

Case report: We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with no significant medical or surgical history who presented with mastodynia. Physical examination was negative. Screening by bilateral mammography revealed a mass of the right breast which was classified as 4B. The mass was surgically excised. The pathological report concluded to a TCCRP of the breast with free margins. The tumor cells were negative for hormone receptors as well as for the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER2neu). The patient underwent a sentinel lymph node dissection that was negative followed by loco-regional radiotherapy. Chemotherapy and endocrine therapy were not indicated for the patient. After 24 months of follow-up, no signs of loco-regional or distant recurrences have been identified.

Clinical discussion: TCCRP is a rare entity that has been recently introduced in the WHO classification of breast cancer. It is usually a triple negative tumor, negative to TTF1 and thyroglobulin with low proliferation index, and a low potential for malignancy. Wide excision is the keystone of the treatment; however, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are still controversial due to lack of evidence.

Conclusion: TCCRP is a rare entity, which carries an excellent prognosis. A proper diagnosis is essential to conduct the best treatment next to a careful follow-up due to the ambiguous natural history of this rare entity.

Papers that have been previously published as meeting abstracts: None.