The following slide shows the histology of a typical fibroadenoma with a hypocellular stromal element and no cellular atypia Clinically fibroademonas usually present in adolescence or early teens as a smooth or occasionally lobulated breast lump. This often a aptly termed a 'breast mouse'. They usually measure 2-3 cm in diameter. They rarely present after the menopause. In the elderly they occasionally present as a hard calcified mass with a typically uniform calcified appearance on mammography.
Diagnosis is by triple assessment - clinical evaluation, imaging and pathological assessment.
A C2 report will confirm the benign nature. If there is any doubt then a core or excision biopsy can be performed. Until recently all breast lumps, and by implication all fibroadenomas, were surgically excised. The natural history of these lesions has recently been elucidated and has resulted in a change in management policy. With knowledge of this natural history a conservative management policy can often be adopted.