A CASE OF INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA OF BREAST LOCALIZED IN THE RIGHT NIPPLE

A case of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast and localized in the right nipple is reported. The patient was a 65-year-old woman. Beginning in January 1997, she noticed gelosis surrounding the right nipple, but did nothing about it. During an examination in April of that year, she was persuaded to undergo additional tests, and was referred to this clinic. The right nipple measured 15×15mm, with a height of 10mm, and was slightly larger than the left nipple. Through palpation, a mass was found with indistinct, elastic boundaries directly under the nipple, but no bleeding or sores on the surface. Mammography confirmed the presence and shape of the mass, while ultrasonography showed a low-echo, uneven tumor area measuring 18×17×10mm with an irregular edge. Biopsy results suggested ductal carcinoma, with the possibility of an adenoid tumor; therefore, we elected to resect the nipple area. A pathological study showed the tumor to be an invasive type of ductal carcinoma, but there was no residual tumor at the resection site, and the remaining breast and axillary region were treated with radiotherapy. Discussion: Other diseases localized to the nipple include Paget's disease and adenoma of the nipple, so it is important to distinguish these from breast cancer. In particular, the latter type leads often to resection of the nipple. Most cases of cancer of the nipple are Paget's disease complicated by noninvasive ductal carcinoma, so it is unusual to find a case where the primary tumor in the nipple was an invasive tumor.