J Korean Soc Radiol.  2016 Jan;74(1):22-25. 10.3348/jksr.2016.74.1.22.

Cholesterol Granuloma of the Breast Incidentally Detected on Dynamic Abdominal CT: A Case Report

• Jeong SH
• Lee EH
• Hong HS
• Kwak JJ

• KMID: 2150459
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2016.74.1.22

Abstract

A breast cholesterol granuloma is an uncommon nodular breast lesion. We incidentally detected a persistently enhancing breast mass on the dynamic abdominal computed tomography (CT) of a 78-year-old woman. The mass decreased in diameter over 50 days following a core needle biopsy. This report is the first to describe the dynamic-enhanced CT features of a breast cholesterol granuloma.

MeSH Terms

Aged
Biopsy, Large-Core Needle
Breast*
Cholesterol*
Female
Granuloma*
Humans
Multidetector Computed Tomography
Tomography, X-Ray Computed*
Cholesterol

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Radiologic and pathologic findings of cholesterol granuloma in a 78-year-old woman. A. CT reveals a 1 cm diameter, oval, ill-defined, heterogeneously-enhanced mass in the right mid-outer breast (arrow). B. On delayed-enhanced CT, the enhancement is found to be progressive (arrow). C. A craniocaudal view of mammography reveals a 1 cm diameter, oval, indistinct hyperdense mass lacking microcalcification in the mid-outer portion of the right breast (arrow), corresponding to the enhanced mass evident on the dynamic abdominal CT. D, E. Ultrasonography of the right breast reveals an oval isoechoic mass with partially angular margins (D), but lacking increased intratumoral vascularity on color Doppler imaging (E). F-H. The cholesterol granuloma contains numerous cholesterol clefts and dense inflammatory infiltrations (H&E staining, × 40) (F), scatters cholesterol clefts surrounded by giant cells, histiocytes, and inflammatory cells (H&E staining, × 100) (G), and a dense infiltration of foamy histiocytes (H&E staining, × 200) (H). I. The diameter of the biopsy-proven cholesterol granuloma in the right breast has decreased by the time of the follow-up CT (arrow). H&E = hematoxylin-and-eosin

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