Carcinoma in a transplanted nipple.

A 26-year-old woman requested that the nipple from her breast be saved for later reconstructive mammoplasty. At the time of mastectomy, two biopsy specimens from the base of the nipple showed no malignant neoplasms, The nipple was transplanted to the left thigh. Eleven months later, a 5-cm mass developed deep in the nipple transplant, and an adjacent inguinal lymph node became enlarged. Examination of biopsy specimens from the base of the nipple transplant showed the same duct cell carcinoma as the original specimen.