Seen here at low and medium power magnification is a fibroadenoma of the breast. The pink fibrous stroma is not highly cellular. The compressed ducts or glands are lined by cuboidal cells without atypia. Fibroadenomas comprise one of the more common types of "breast lumps" in women and are benign. They appear as discreet, firm, movable masses that may enlarge slightly and cause some discomfort during the latter part of the menstrual cycle. During pregnancy they may enlarge. Postmenopausally they may diminish in size, and undergo calcification. They range in size from 1 to 4 cm, but rare "giant" fibroadenomas may be 10 to 15 cm in diameter. The two histologic variants are pericanalicular, in which the ductular components have a rounded outline, and intracanalicular (as seen here), in which the ducts are elongated and compressed by nodules of stroma.
| Our winner is: Prof. dr. Mladen Belicza of Zagreb, Croatia
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