Cystic disease of the breast: Relationship to carcinoma

Based on a modification of the classification of Foote and Stewart.' likely to form conclusions from the gross and microscopic examination of operative specimens of the breast. They find all gradations of disease, from simple blue-domed cysts, to moderate degrees of epithelial hyperplasia, to extensive intraductal epithelial hyperplasia nearly or completely filling the ducts or acini, to varying degrees of epithelial-cell atypism, to infiltration into the connective tissue, to axillary node metastases, and to carcinoma leading to death. At times, they find unsuspected carcinoma in breast tissue removed for cystic disease. Another method of study is to examine the remaining portions of a breast removed for carcinoma to find out how many cystic masses are present and the types of cysts. Are there more cysts in these breasts than in breasts of normal women of the same age? This led us to review the literature on the frequency of the various forms of cystic disease found at autopsy in women who died of other causes. A study of all operative specimens of the breast also shows how frequently cystic disease is diagnosed.