An unusual case of intracystic papillary carcinoma of breast with invasive component

Papillary carcinoma of the breast is a rare malignant tumor, constituting 1–2% of breast neoplasms mostly affecting elderly postmenopausal women. Intracystic (Encysted) papillary carcinoma (IPC) is a rare distinct entity with slow growth rate and overall favourable prognosis regardless of whether it is in situ alone or associated with invasive component. Treatment modalities vary from conservative surgery to radical surgery with or without adjuvant therapy depending upon the associated component (DCIS or invasive) of the tumor.

Herein, we report a case of 55-year-old female presented with a painless lump in the right breast. FNAC yielded haemorrhagic fluid with scanty cellularity of atypical ductal epithelial cells. Patient underwent wide local excision. The final histopathological diagnosis revealed intracystic papillary carcinoma associated with invasive ductal carcinoma, NOS type.