The incidence of Paget's disease of the breast in Benghazi-Libya during a period of 19 years

Abstract EN

Dermatoses of the nipple and areola are rare.

the Paget's disease is a common dermatosis, which is presented in the form of a well-demarcated erythematous area, sometimes erosive, oozing or hyperkeratotic.

because the condition may be confused with benign diseases of the nipple, treatment is frequently delayed.

the study aimed to highlight the incidence and make a clinical assessment of patients with Paget's disease of the breast in the eastern part of Libya.

the medical records and histopathological reports of all patients attended the breast clinic in 7th October hospital in the period from June 1990 till December 2008 were collected and reviewed retrospectively.

demography, clinical features, and biopsy results were noted.

the results: the total number of patients who had breast cancer was 897, from which Paget's disease was diagnosed in 19 patients (2.1%).

mean age at presentation was 57.3 years, and all of them were women.

eczema of the nipple-areola complex and palpable mass occurred in (63.1% and 42.1%) respectively.

the metastatic axillary lymphadenopathy at time of presentation were found in 36.8%.

we conclude that Paget's disease is serious but commonly misdiagnosed.

a thorough history and physical examination are important for every patient who is presented with skin and/or nipple changes of the breast, and physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for Paget's disease of the breast.