THE CASE
A 34-year-old healthy woman presented to the breast surgical oncology clinic with skin changes to her left nipple after being referred by her primary care provider. She attributed the skin changes to shearing from breastfeeding her third child 5 years earlier. Physical examination revealed an erythematous and friable nipple with loss of protrusion (FIGURE 1). The patient reported routine bleeding from her nipple, but said the skin changes had remained stable and denied any breast masses. The patient’s last mammogram was 2.5 years earlier and had only been remarkable for bilateral benign calcifications.
THE DIAGNOSIS
A screening mammogram showed flattening and retraction of the left nipple, as well as suspicious left breast calcifications (BIRADS [Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System] 4 classification, FIGURE 2). A subsequent diagnostic mammogram showed a cluster of fine pleomorphic calcifications in the upper inner quadrant of the left breast (FIGURE 3). A stereotactic core needle biopsy was performed, and results confirmed a diagnosis of high-grade, estrogen receptor-negative, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
