Primary neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast and neuroendocrine differentiated breast cancers: Relationship between histopathological and radiological features

• Published in: European journal of radiology 2022-02, Vol.147, p.110148-110148, Article 110148
• Main Authors: Kayadibi, Yasemin, Erginoz, Ergin, Cavus, Gokce Hande, Kurt, Seda Aladag, Ozturk, Tulin, Velidedeoglu, Mehmet
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Breast; Breast cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine - diagnostic imaging; Female; Humans; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mammography; Neuroendocrine carcinoma; Retrospective Studies; Ultrasonography
• ISSN: 0720-048X; 1872-7727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2021.110148

•Neuroendocrine tumors of breast are usually seen as irregularly shaped masses with circumscribed or microlobulated margins and without microcalcifications.•On ultrasonography, they are usually located parallel to the skin and do not give a posterior acoustic shadow.•Although neuroendocrine tumors of breast can be observed most frequently as a mass lesion, they can also present as a non-mass lesion.•Although neuroendocrine tumors of the breast are hormone receptor positive, they can mimic hormone receptor negative tumors in terms of their imaging findings. The aim of this study wasto investigate whole-breast imaging findings (mammography, ultrasonography (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),clinical, and histopathological findings of primary neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast (NEC) and neuroendocrine differentiated breast cancers (NEBC). Patients withadiagnosis of breast cancer with histopathological neuroendocrine features between the years 2010 and 2021 were retrospectively screened.The lesions were divided into two main groups depending on staining with neuroendocrine markers (synaptophysin and chromogranin A). Those showing focal staining were categorized as NEBC while those with diffuse staining as NEC.The mammography, US, and MRI of the lesionswere reviewed in consensus by two breast radiologists in order to assess imaging featuresretrospectively according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 5th lexicon.The findings were compared with breast cancers without neuroendocrine features (BC-WNE) which were randomly selected from the same database. A total of 105 lesions [NEBC (n = 44), NEC(n = 11), BC-WNE (n = 50)] were evaluated.Patients with neuroendocrine tumors were older (p