ABSTRACT
Introduction: Hamartomas of the breast can achieve unusually large proportions, causing gross distortion of the breast. Conclusive preoperative diagnosis can be difficult. We present such a case and describe the application of reduction mammaplasty techniques in the removal of such a tumour.
Clinical Picture: A 39-year-old woman presented with gross enlargement of the right breast, which had developed over the course of many years. Clinically, there was no discrete mass within the breast and no palpable lymphadenopathy. Treatment: She underwent unilateral reduction mammaplasty. Intraoperative findings were that of a giant hamartoma. The tumour was removed and the breast reconstructed using an inferior pedicled reduction mammaplasty. Outcome: The resultant right breast was of a good match to the contralateral normal breast, both in size and shape. Conclusion: Reduction mammaplasty is a useful technique for the surgical management of giant breast hamartomas, as it not only addresses the issue of tumour removal but also the aesthetic reconstruction of the breast.Large benign tumours of the breast cause gross enlargement with compression of normal breast tissue. Following removal of the tumour, the affected side has a large redundant skin envelope and the breast volume may be reduced or distorted compared with the normal side.
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