CASE REPORT article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Surgical Oncology
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1640302
Intraductal papilloma of breast with carcinoma in situ and lymph node tuberculosis: a case report
Provisionally accepted
- Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Background: The simultaneous occurrence of intraductal papilloma and malignant breast lesions is rare, as is the presence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) alongside axillary tuberculous lymphadenitis. In DCIS cases, axillary lymphadenopathy should initially raise concerns about metastasis; however, other conditions, such as granulomatous diseases or alternative malignancies, may present with similar clinical features. Given the patient's extended residence in a tuberculosis-endemic region and history of pulmonary tuberculosis, determining the etiology of axillary lymphadenopathy is imperative. Thus, an accurate pathological diagnosis, exclusion of metastatic breast cancer, and precise staging are essential for effective management. Case Presentation: A 49-year-old female with a decade-long history of pulmonary tuberculosis presented with a right breast mass, first noticed 10 days prior. Color Doppler ultrasound identified a hypoechoic nodule in the right breast, and breast MRI, both with and without contrast, revealed multiple regions of abnormal enhancement in the right breast, along with enlarged axillary lymph nodes. Tissue biopsy confirmed intraductal papilloma with malignant transformation in some areas (low-grade DCIS). Axillary lymph node biopsy was positive for tuberculosis. The patient underwent right mastectomy, and follow-up after one month showed no recurrence. Conclusion: Tuberculosis remains prevalent in developing countries, and this patient's history of pulmonary tuberculosis spans over 10 years. The co-occurrence of breast cancer and axillary tuberculous lymphadenitis is unusual. A prompt and accurate diagnosis of breast cancer is vital, involving preoperative imaging, biopsy, and pathological assessment during and after surgery. Once diagnosed, a treatment plan tailored to the characteristics of carcinoma in situ should be implemented, alongside concurrent treatment for tuberculosis, to improve the patient's prognosis.
Keywords: intraductal papilloma, ductal carcinoma in situ, Breast, Tuberculous lymphadenitis, Pathology, Treatment
Received: 03 Jun 2025; Accepted: 17 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Luo, Li and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shuai Luo, 1421227850@qq.com
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.