Histopathological Spectrum of Breast Lesions in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Two-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Breast lesions form a heterogeneous group of diseases ranging from inflammatory and benign proliferative conditions to in-situ and invasive malignancy, and histopathological examination remains the diagnostic gold standard. This study was undertaken to analyse the histopathological spectrum of breast lesions received at a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India. Material and Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College and Hospital, Krishnagiri, over a two-year period from May 2022 to April 2024. A total of 116 breast specimens comprising lumpectomy, incisional biopsy, trucut biopsy and mastectomy specimens received from the Department of Surgery were processed by the conventional paraffin-embedding technique and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Clinical data including age, sex, laterality and the surgical procedure performed were recorded, and the histopathological diagnoses were categorised as benign, malignant or inadequate for diagnosis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test, with p<0.05 taken as statistically significant. Results: Of the 116 specimens, 94.8% were from female patients, with a mean age of 44.2 ± 18.2 years. Benign lesions accounted for 52.6% of cases, malignant lesions for 39.7%, and 7.8% were inadequate for a definitive diagnosis. Fibroadenoma (36.2%) was the most common benign lesion and invasive ductal carcinoma (37.1%) was the most common malignant lesion. A statistically significant association was observed between age group and the biological nature of the lesion (χ² = 44.95, p < 0.001), with malignancy increasing sharply after the fourth decade of life. The right breast was more frequently involved (53.4%) than the left (37.9%), and excision biopsy (42.2%) was the most commonly performed procedure, followed by modified radical mastectomy (30.2%). Conclusion: Fibroadenoma and invasive ductal carcinoma constitute the predominant benign and malignant lesions of the breast, respectively, in this population, and increasing age is strongly associated with malignant transformation. Histopathological examination remains indispensable for the accurate diagnosis and management of breast disease, and age-stratified clinical vigilance is warranted for early detection of breast carcinoma.

Keywords: Breast lesions; histopathology; fibroadenoma; invasive ductal carcinoma; benign breast disease; breast carcinoma; tertiary care hospital.