Collagenous spherulosis, or simple spherulosis, is a benign finding in breast pathology. It is almost always an incidental finding, though it is occasionally associated with calcifications, which may lead to a biopsy.
| Collagenous spherulosis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Mucinous spherulosis, spherulosis |
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| Micrograph of collagenous spherulosis with the characteristic histomorphology - intratubular eosinophilic material with a spoke-like arrangement. H&E stain. | |
| Specialty | Pathology |
Significance
editIt is important to correctly identify, as it can be confused with atypical ductal hyperplasia, cribriform ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and adenoid cystic carcinoma.[1]
Histomorphologic features
editCollagenous spherulosis is characterized by a tubular/cribriform architecture with intratubular eosinophilic material that classically is arranged like the spokes of a wheel ("radial spikes"). There is usually no mitotic activity, and two cells populations (epithelial & myoepithelial) are present, like in benign breast glands.
The lesions are typically small (less than 50 spherules per lesion, less than 100 micrometers in size) and may be multifocal.
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Intermed. mag. -
High mag.
