[A case of primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the breast]

A rare case of primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the breast is reported. The patient was a 54-year-old unmarried female (G 0, P 0, AB 0) with a several months' history of inflammatory reactions, such as infection, erosion, and a swelling of her entire left breast. She died of this disease in 6 months despite an operation and combined chemotherapy (CMF). Her serum CEA level had well reflected the course of her treatment. Histopathologically, a primary lesion and axillary lymph nodes were found to be filled with typical signet ring cells, whose cytoplasm showed positive staining for PAS and Alcian blue stains as well as CEA. This case, both clinically and histopathologically, displayed the peculiar characteristics of signet ring cell carcinoma, which differs from other types of breast cancer.