A giant ectopic hidradenoma papilliferum in a Niger delta region of Nigeria

Hidradenoma papilliferum is a known example of adnexal skin tumours with apocrine differentiation. It is a rare benign tumour which tends to arise from areas with rich concentration of aporine glands such as anogenital region, vulval, perineal, axillae, and periumbilical areas. In this report, the tumour was found in the upper outer quadrant of left breast, being one of the ectopic sites for this tumour. Contrary to most reports where male preponderance was popular for ectopic hidradenoma papilliferum, the patient in this report is a 71-year-old female. Considering the location of this tumour in this report, the likely histopathological differential diagnoses such as tubular apocrine adenoma, clear cell (apocrine) adenoma, lipoma, intraductal papilloma and papillary carcinoma of the breast should be considered for exclusion. This is the first reported case of a giant ectopic hidradenoma papilliferum of the breast in a Niger Delta region of Nigeria which also highlights the role of fine needle aspiration and cytology in the diagnosis of breast lesions.