Atypical hemangioma of the breast: A diagnostic pitfall in breast fine-needle aspiration

We report on the fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of atypical hemangioma of thr breast in a 52-yr-old female. The patient presented with a 2-cm palpable left breast,mass. An FNA of the mass was performed following a mammogram, corresponding to the palpable breast mass. The FNA demonstrated the presence of numerous atypical single spindle cells scattered throughout a hemorrhagic background An unequivocal diagnosis of malignancy was not rendered in this case. However the degree of cytologic atypia suggested a malignant process, and a recommendation for an excisional biopsy was made. Atypical hemangioma should therefore be included in the differential diagnosis of angiosarcoma and other benign and malignant spindle-cell lesions of the breast encountered oil cytologic samples. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.