o evaluate the significance of.stomal metachromasia and the variable numbers of mast cells observed in lesions of the human breast, the author had performed a study in which the numbers of mast cells were counted and the stomal metachromasia noted in prepared sections of fibrocystc disease, gynecomastia, chronic mastitis, intraductal papilloma, tubular adenoma, lactating adenoma, fibroadenoma, benign phyllodes tumor, non-infiltrating and infiltrating ductal carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma.
The sections were prepared and stained with toluidine blue, and the counted numbers of mast cells were arbitrarily divided as slight; less than 10/20 HPF, moderate; 11-20/30 HPF, and marked; above 21/20, HPE. The results obtained are as follows;
1. The numbers of mast cells were slight around the lesion and moderate in the lesions of non-neoplastic breast nodules.
2. In the benign neoplasms of the breast, the numbers of mast cells were moderate in and around the lesions.
3. In the malignant neoplasms of the breast, the numbers of mast cells were marked in and around the lesions.
4. Stromal metachromasia was noted in the connective tissue of the benign stromal tumors and infiltrating malignant tumors, and was not present in the normal breast tissue.
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