A case of a giant pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia of the breast: magnetic resonance imaging findings

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast is a benign myofibroblastic process. We present the case of a 17-year-old girl who underwent diagnostic work-up due to an enlargement of her left breast. She was submitted to ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which depicted a 14 cm lesion in her left breast. The patient was later operated and histology revealed PASH. Although PASH may range from 0.6–12 cm, a few lesions over 12 cm have been described, the largest being 20 cm. Large series present mammographic and ultrasonographic features of PASH in the literature, but little has been reported on the MR characteristics of PASH up to today. Signal on the T1-weighted image (T1WI) and T2-weighted image (T2WI) may vary. Curves generated from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) studies are mainly type I or less frequently type II. There are no reports about diffusion-weighted imaging and corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for PASH in the literature. ADC values in our case lie within the range of values reported for other benign breast lesions. The presence of slit-like spaces within the lesion on MR imaging along with DCE-MRI type I curve and ADC values consistent with a benign lesion may favour the diagnosis of PASH. Tissue biopsy is necessary, however for the final diagnosis. This case report will further contribute to the understanding of MR imaging features of PASH, especially in cases where mammography is not indicated.