Papillary carcinoma of the breast. A cytomorphologic analysis.

For the past 15 years at Lankenau Hospital, Philadelphia, more than 10,000 breast lesions have been aspirated; the distinctive cytomorphologic features of common carcinomas have been previously reported. This study is a cytomorphologic analysis of eight invasive papillary carcinomas. The parameters include the pattern and morphology of the tumor cells, and their measurements by ocular micrometry. The distinctive features of this unusual neoplasm are its papillary configuration, tall columnar cells, naked nuclei, and blood. The study is especially important because these neoplasms may be misinterpreted as benign tumors.