Hye Ju Kang, Sun Young Kwon, Ahrong Kim, Woo Gyeong Kim, Eun Kyung Kim, Ae Ree Kim, Chungyeul Kim, Soo Kee Min, So Young Park, Sun Hee Sung, Hye Kyoung Yoon, Ahwon Lee, Ji Shin Lee, Hyang Im Lee, Ho Chang Lee, Sung Chul Lim, Sun Young Jun, Min Jung Jung, Chang Won Jung, Soo Youn Cho, Eun Yoon Cho, Hye Jeong Choi, So Yeon Park, Jee Yeon Kim, In Ae Park, Youngmee Kwon
J Pathol Transl Med. 2021;55(6):380-387. Published online October 6, 2021
Background Papillary breast lesions (PBLs) comprise diverse entities from benign and atypical lesions to malignant tumors. Although PBLs are characterized by a papillary growth pattern, it is challenging to achieve high diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility. Thus, we investigated the diagnostic reproducibility of PBLs in core needle biopsy (CNB) specimens with World Health Organization (WHO) classification.
Methods Diagnostic reproducibility was assessed using interobserver variability (kappa value, κ) and agreement rate in the pathologic diagnosis of 60 PBL cases on CNB among 20 breast pathologists affiliated with 20 medical institutions in Korea. This analysis was performed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for cytokeratin 5 (CK5) and p63. The pathologic diagnosis of PBLs was based on WHO classification, which was used to establish simple classifications (4-tier, 3-tier, and 2-tier).
Results On WHO classification, H&E staining exhibited ‘fair agreement’ (κ = 0.21) with a 47.0% agreement rate. Simple classifications presented improvement in interobserver variability and agreement rate. IHC staining increased the kappa value and agreement rate in all the classifications. Despite IHC staining, the encapsulated/solid papillary carcinoma (EPC/SPC) subgroup (κ = 0.16) exhibited lower agreement compared to the non-EPC/SPC subgroup (κ = 0.35) with WHO classification, which was similar to the results of any other classification systems.
Conclusions Although the use of IHC staining for CK5 and p63 increased the diagnostic agreement of PBLs in CNB specimens, WHO classification exhibited a higher discordance rate compared to any other classifications. Therefore, this result warrants further intensive consensus studies to improve the diagnostic reproducibility of PBLs with WHO classification.
Citations
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Among total 108 cases of biopsy-proven fibroadenomas of the breast, which obtained from the files of the Asan Medical Center during one year period from October 1998 to September 1999, 23 cases cytologically diagnosed as high risk group were reviewed to retrieve the mis-leading factors. Initial cytologic diagnoses of 23 cases were proliferative breast lesion with atypia(high risk) in 21 cases(91.3%) and papillary neoplasm in 2 cases(8.7%). When we reanalysed 23 cases by Masood scoring system, they were classified as one non-proliferative breast lesion(4.3%), 16 proliferative breast lesions without atypia (69.6%), and 6 proliferative breast lesions with atypia(26.1%). None were subject to the category of carcinoma. Cytologic features leading to the overdiagnosis of high grade epithelial lesions were as follows; cellular dissociation without nuclear atypia, nuclear pleomorphism, anisonucleosis, and occasional macronucleoli without nuclear enlargement, lack of myxoid stroma, and few naked stromal cells. To avoid cytologic overdiagnosis of fibroadenoma, mild to moderate nuclear pleomorphism without nuclear enlargement, and cellular dissociation without nuclear atypia should not be regarded as criteria of high risk group.
Fine needle aspiration has been widely used to diagnose of breast lesions whether they are malignant or not. When applied by experienced and well-trained practitioners, its accuracy can approach that of histopathology, In order to make optimal use of FNAB in breast lesions, this article has reviewed the criteria for sample adequacy, the diagnostic terminology and the cytomorphologic approach to making a diagnosis and avoiding diagnostic pitfalls.