Nipple involvement in peripheral breast carcinoma: a prospective study.

Twenty six females patients of carcinoma of the breast were studied prospectively to find out the incidence of microscopic involvement of the Nipple Areolar Complex (NAC). The tumours were situated at minimum of 2.5 cms away from areola and the nipple was grossly normal. Majority of the patients (69.3%) had T.N.M. stage II disease. Tumours were situated within 4 cms of areola in 88.5% of the cases. Axillary lymph node metastasis was present in 38.4% of the cases. Irrespective of the size & stage of the tumour and tumour areola distance, the incidence of the microscopic involvement of NAC was 0%.