Cytological diagnosis of Axillary crystallizing galactocele – A report of an unusual case

• Author Details:   
• Pooja Kishore Jha
• Firoz Sheikh
• Anil Kumar Verma ^*
• Chandni Naresh Krishnani

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Axillary Crystallizing galactocele is a rare entity that yields a viscous, chalky material on Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC). FNAC is used both for diagnosis and treatment of this condition. We present here a case of a 28-year-old female with painless swelling in the right axilla with the clinical impression of Lymph node swelling secondary to Tuberculosis. There was neither any associated palpable breast lesion nor any associated fever or weight loss. There was a history of fibroadenoma of the left breast in the lower inner quadrant for which she was operated. On Aspiration of the lesion in the right axilla, we got thick, milky, and gritty material. On cytological examination, multiple smears showed a fair number of crystals of varying sizes and shapes in a dirty background of amorphous debris, along with very few ductal epithelial cells. There was no granuloma or atypical cell. Based on the previous clinical history and typical cytomorphological features, a diagnosis of axillary crystallizing galactocele was given. We report this case because of a high index of suspicion of tuberculosis, but cytological features were suggestive of crystallizing galactocele. Very few cases have been reported in the medical literature to the best of my knowledge.