A 35-year-old woman presenting with an unusual post-traumatic leiomyoma of the nipple: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Leiomyoma of the mammary papilla is one of the most uncommon nipple tumors with only 50 cases reported in the literature until now. To the best of our knowledge we present the first report of a nipple leiomyoma that originated from a traumatic abrasion caused by breastfeeding. CASE PRESENTATION: A 35-year-old healthy Caucasian female with a cauliflower-like tender and pink nodular mass that was approximately 10mm in diameter presented to our out-patients department. The patient suggested that the mass originated from a traumatic abrasion caused by breastfeeding three years ago and it has been slowly growing ever since. An excision biopsy was performed. The histological and immunohistochemical examination confirmed the diagnosis of leiomyoma. There were no postoperative complications or any sign of local recurrence four years postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Leiomyoma of the mammary papilla is a rare benign neoplasm that usually appears as a solid tender nodule. Differential diagnosis comprises breast carcinoma, leiomyosarcoma and myoid hamartoma. The recommended treatment is complete excision of the tumor with histologically confirmed tumor-free margins otherwise recurrence is possible. A detailed history of the patient’s disease can reveal the original etiology. This is an original case report that will have particular interest to plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and pathologists. The pathogenetic mechanism was trauma of the nipple. According to our review of the literature this particular information has never been reported and we think that it may advance our knowledge of this very infrequent tumor.