Description

Stolier and Grube listed risk factors for occult involvement of the nipple and/or areola in a woman with primary breast cancer. A woman with one or more of these findings should be examined carefully for extension to the nipple or areola. The authors are from Tulane University and the University of Texas at Galveston.


 

Risk factors for nipple or areola involvement:

(1) primary tumor < 2 cm from the areola

(2) primary tumor measuring > 4 cm in diameter

(3) lymphovascular spread (including inflammatory carcinoma)

(4) perineural spread

(5) multicentric/multifocal tumor

 

The authors also list dimpling of the areola (skin tethering), but this is a sign of involvement rather than a risk factor for.

 

A woman with one or more risk factors would not be a candidate for areola-sparing mastectomy.

 


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