A CASE OF PRIMARY MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA OF THE BREAST WHICH ORIGIN IS SUSPECTED SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE OF THE BREAST

A 59-year-old woman was referred to the hospital for further examination of a mass at the right breast. Palpation, mammography and ultrasonography indicated a benign subcutaneous tumor. But in the course this tumor enlarged rapidly with tenderness and redness of covered skin. A malignant tumor was suspected. Aspiration biopsy cytology after her admission revealed malignant lymphoma. This patient underwent surgical procedure (Br+Ax+Ps) after one course of chemotherapy (VEPA). Histologically the tumor was diffuse lymphoma in LSG classification, mixed type malignant lymphoma, and Boriginated one. Postoperatively 11 courses of adjuvant chemoterapy (CHOP) were carried out. No evidence of recurrence has been observed for one year and six months following the operation. Primary malignant lymphoma of the breast is relatively rare, and 153 cases have been reported in Japan. Thought the origins of this disease have been unknown yet, in this case, one of them may be infiltrated lymphocytes. The peak of the age when the patients first had the disease was in their fifties (the avaraged age of 49.5), and bilateral (11.4%) occurrence was more than that of breast cancer patients. Hitological examination was necessary for making the preoperative diagnosis, and operation+chemotherapy regimen was most common. This disease has a poorer prognosis than that of breast cancer.