Fine needle aspiration biopsy is a widely used technique for the initial diagnosis
of mammary lesions. The majority of patients undergoing fine needle aspiration biopsy
of a breast lesion will have a benign disease of the breast. This article provides
a review of the cytomorphologic features in a variety of benign breast lesions, and
discusses the commonly encountered differential diagnoses on aspiration biopsy. Topics
discussed include inflammatory and reactive conditions, treatment-induced changes,
pregnancy-related changes, benign proliferative lesions, and benign neoplasms of the
breast.
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