C3 (Atypia probably benign)

Aspirates in this category can have all the characteristics of a benign aspirate. In addition, a combination of features not usually seen in benign aspirates may be present. These can be:

• Nuclear pleomorphism.
• Some loss of cellular cohesiveness.
• Nuclear hyperchromasia and changes resulting from, for example, hormonal (pregnancy, pill, hormone replacement therapy) or treatment influences.
• Hypercellularity accompanying the above features.

Nuclear crowding and hypercellularity.

Nuclear pleomorphism.

Initial loss of cellular cohesion.

Nuclear hyperchromasia.

Some fibroadenomata may show a certain degree of cellular crowding and some nuclear enlargement…

..but the presence of myoepithelial and stromal cells lead towards a diagnosis of fibroadenoma.

..but the presence of myoepithelial and stromal cells lead towards a diagnosis of fibroadenoma.

Some papillomata show three dimensional groups of slightly enlarged ductal elements with some nuclear pleomorphism and chromatin clumping.

Some papillomata show three dimensional groups of slightly enlarged ductal elements with some nuclear pleomorphism and chromatin clumping.

Tubular carcinoma: A tubular carcinoma may mimic a fibroadenoma but observe the lack of myoepithelial cells and the mild degree of nuclear pleomorphism in tubular carcinoma.

Fibroadenoma: A tubular carcinoma may mimic a fibroadenoma but observe the lack of myoepithelial cells and the mild degree of nuclear pleomorphism in tubular carcinoma.