MALE BREAST DISEASES: ICONOGRAPHIC ESSAY

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.15941022402129

• Palavras-chave: male breast neoplasms, ductal breast carcinoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, metastasis, epidermal cyst.

• Keywords: male breast neoplasms, ductal breast carcinoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, metastasis, epidermal cyst.

• Abstract:

  Male breast diseases are a group of rare conditions, around 100 times less common than female breast diseases, and there have been few studies. Therefore, the scarcity of studies on male breast diseases justifies the need to explore and document these conditions in order to improve the understanding and clinical management of these rare pathologies. This is an observational and descriptive study of male breast diseases, including five patients from an imaging clinic in Manaus. The study identified breast conditions in men, including gynecomastia, epidermal inclusion cyst, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, invasive ductal carcinoma and breast metastasis secondary to sarcoma. Gynecomastia is the most common benign condition among male breast pathologies, manifesting as a soft and mobile subareolar mass, which can be unilateral or bilateral, and is often diagnosed by mammography. Epidermal inclusion cysts are palpable nodules, usually asymptomatic, which can cause diagnostic confusion. On ultrasound, they appear as hypoechoic lesions with an "onion skin" appearance, with no Doppler flow, located in the subepidermal region. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the male breast is rare and is identified by clinical features and ultrasound, such as the presence of solid masses and associated lymphadenopathy. Invasive ductal carcinoma is an aggressive neoplasm, often identified by a palpable nodule in the retroareolar region and Doppler ultrasound. Breast metastasis secondary to sarcoma, on the other hand, is a rare finding, in which these metastases present as firm, painless nodules that can be mistaken for primary breast neoplasms. Therefore, this study contributes to expanding knowledge about these conditions, identifying their clinical manifestations and imaging findings. Correct identification is essential for the precise indication of biopsy and for the early start of treatment, highlighting the importance of further studies to improve understanding of male breast diseases.