Lymphoepithelioma-like Carcinoma of the Breast: A Case Report with a Special Analysis of an Association with Human Papilloma Virus

Abstract

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) of the breast is a very rare tumor, and fewer than 20 cases have been reported. A recent report suggested the implication of human papilloma virus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of breast LELC. We report a case of LELC of the breast with a review of its relevance to an association with HPV. A 45-year-old female patient presented with a solid mass in the outer-upper part of her left breast, which was diagnosed as malignant (ductal carcinoma) by fine-needle aspiration cytology. The patient underwent a quadrantectomy of the breast and axillary sentinel node biopsy. Pathological examination revealed cohesive sheets or nests of malignant epithelial cells, with unclear circumscription in a background of diffuse lymphoid infiltration; the postsurgical clinical stage was pT1pN0M0, stage 1. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the tumor was triple negative and basal-like breast cancer. In the present case in situ hybridization demonstrated positive HPV signals in a few tumor cells; however, polymerase chain reaction study failed to detect HPV in tumor cells. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the second report on HPV infection associated with breast LELC.