Invasive Breast Cancer of No Special Type With Osteoclast-Like Giant Cells: A Cytological Clue Providing the Final Diagnosis for Histology.

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer associated with osteoclast-like giant cells (OGCs) refers to a morphological pattern of invasive breast carcinoma of non-special type. Their presence is sometimes subtle, but OGCs can be appreciated both histologically and immunohistochemically. The origin of OGCs as well as their implication for prognosis remain debated. We describe the case of a 65-year-old woman, wherein the presence of OGCs in the fine-needle aspiration cytology of a metastatic axillary lymph node suggested the final diagnosis on histology. The differential diagnosis is broad, and here we provide evidence for strict cytological-histological correlation when dealing with unusual breast lesions.