Infarction of a giant breast hamartoma in a pregnant patient mimicking an inflammatory breast cancer

Background: A giant mass of the breast with discoloration of the overlying skin during pregnancy requires investigation to rule out the possibility of breast malignancy. The aim of this paper is to report a case of rapidly growing hamartoma in a pregnant patient mimicking advanced breast cancer and to discuss the usefulness of sonography and core needle biopsy in the diagnosis. Case Report: A 24-year-old woman in her 16th week of pregnancy presented with a very enlarged and painful breast. The overlying skin was edematous, brown to red, with severely dilated and congested veins. A huge mass was palpated and easily separated from the main breast. Results: Sonography and needle core biopsy were consistent with benign lesion but inadequate to exclude malignancy. At surgery, a giant (1,600 g) well-defined, ovoid mass was enucleated under general anesthesia. Gross and microscopic sections of this tumor were consistent with hamartoma with a central area of infarction. Clinical and histological features of this tumor are briefly discussed. Conclusion: Inability to exclude malignancy in case of symptomatic giant breast tumor during pregnancy should be an indication for early surgical excision.