Early onset lactating adenoma and the role of breast MRI: a case report

INTRODUCTION Lactating adenoma is a benign condition, representing the most prevalent breast lesion in pregnant women and during puerperium; in this paper, a case of a woman with lactating adenoma occurring during the first trimester of pregnancy is reported. There have been no reports in the literature, according to our search, focusing on magnetic resonance imaging findings in cases of lactating adenomas. Also the early onset of the lesion during the first trimester of pregnancy is quite unusual and possibly unique. CASE PRESENTATION We report the case of a primiparous 30-year-old Caucasian woman, who noted an asymptomatic lump within her left breast during the 9th week of gestation, slightly increasing in size over the next few weeks. Ultrasound demonstrated a hypoecoic solid mass, hypervascularized and measuring 4 cm. On magnetic resonance imaging, performed in the first month after delivery, the lesion appeared as an ovoidal homogeneous mass, with regular margins and a significant contrast enhancement indicative of a giant adenoma. CONCLUSION Magnetic resonance imaging could play an important role in the differential diagnosis of pregnancy-related breast lumps, particularly during puerperium, thus avoiding unnecessary surgical biopsies.