Papillary carcinoma of the breast: characteristics and classification.

Papillary carcinoma is a rare but perplexing entity. The varied histopathological appearances make accurately diagnosing this tumor a difficult task. This review is a brief overview of the basic findings and a general classification of papillary carcinoma of the breast. Through an extensive literature review we have attempted to put forth a basic scheme of how papillary carcinoma is categorized with accepted treatment guidelines and protocol. A working knowledge of this tumor will facilitate a better understanding of its diagnosis and treatment with a reduction in overall morbidity.