A study of incidence of columnar cell lesions in neoplastic and non –neoplastic lesions of breast

Background: Columnar cell lesions of breast are increasingly being encountered in breast biopsies because of their associated micro calcifications which are detected on mammographic screening.Observational studies suggest the co-existence of Columnar cell lesions with more advanced lesions of breast like Ductal carcinoma in situ,Atypical ductal hyperplasia and Invasive carcinoma. The presence of Columnar cell lesionneeds careful search for otheratypical breast lesionsin proximity. Aim: To study the occurrence of Columnar cell lesions in Neoplastic and NonNeoplastic breast lesions and evaluate the type of lesion with respect to category of breast lesion.Materials and methods: This is an observational study conducted in the Department of Pathology,Gandhi hospitalfrom January 2016 to December 2017.H&E stained sections of Neoplastic and Non-Neoplastic breast lesions were reviewed andassociated Columnar cell changes were evaluated.Results:Total200 breast lesions were studiedout of which 134 showed Columnar cell lesions. 90% cases of fibrocystic disease and 60% of fibroadenoma cases were associated with CCL and the predominant type of lesionis Columnar cell change. 80% cases of Ductal carcinoma insituand 40% of Infiltrative duct cell carcinoma cases showed CCL and the common lesion is Columnar cell hyperplasia without atypia.Conclusion: Columnar cell lesions were observed in both Neoplastic and Non-Neoplastic breast lesions. Based on previous observational studies cancer risk associated with CCL is only mild on long term follow up. However detection of CCL in biopsy should prompt additional scrutiny for other pathological changes