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Several excellent and comprehensive textbooks have been written on breast pathology [1-5]. The magnif-
icent book Problems in Breast Pathology [1] written by John G. Azzopardi, and two more recent great
works by Fattaneh A. Tavassoli [4] and Paul P. Rosen [3] cover almost all aspects of classic and modern
breast pathology. So why should one dare to write a new book on this subject?
Over the past few years, the Department of Pathology, Medical University Graz has organized annual
intensive 5-day courses on diagnostic breast pathology in order to share the experience in this field and
demonstrate and discuss several common diagnostic problems, including tumor-like lesions, intraductal
proliferative lesions, variants of ductal and lobular intraepithelial neoplasias, papillary neoplasms, and a
variety of infiltrating breast carcinomas. During these courses, it has been my constant experience that
most practicing pathologists and pathologists in training appreciate receiving a precise summary of the
diagnostic criteria for each entity combined with a brief and accurate discussion of the main differential
diagnoses. In dealing with a variety of breast lesions in daily practice, surgical pathologists want and need
to know the essentials of diagnostic breast pathology.
So, the idea to write this book gradually evolved from these diagnostic courses, with a main focus on the
essentials. This book is therefore designed as a diagnostic aid for pathologists when they encounter com-
mon as well as unusual or even challenging and very difficult cases. In trying to achieve this goal, it was
necessary to reduce the text but emphasize case presentations that deal with the described entities. Indeed,
this book contains over 1,100 full-color illustrations demonstrating gross, histologic, cytologic, and
immunohistochemical findings of common as well as challenging benign and malignant breast lesions.
I am most grateful to Dr. Fattaneh A. Tavassoli for her constructive comments, suggestions, and encour-
agement throughout the preparation of this book. I am indebted to the staff pathologists at the Depart-
ment of Pathology, Medical University Graz, who have supported me during the preparation of this book.
I am thankful to Drs. Helmut Denk, Manfred Ratschek and Wolfgang Ohlinger for their kind support.
I would like to acknowledge the excellent assistance and expertise of Mrs. Andrea Kaps in preparing the
photomicrographs. I would like to thank the staff of the publisher, Springer, in particular Mrs. Gabriele M.
Schroder and Mrs. Ellen Blasig for their professional and efficient cooperation and consideration in the
production of this book.
Once again, I would like to express my special thanks to my wife, Shokufeh Sodeifi-Moinfar, for her
support and tolerance over the past three years. |