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Up to 50% of recurrences of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast are associated with invasive carcinoma but no pathological or molecular features have yet been found to predict for the development of invasive disease. For a tumour to invade, it requires the formation of new blood vessels. Previous studies have described a vascular rim around ducts involved by ductal carcinoma in situ, raising the possibility that the characteristics of periductal vascularisation may be important in determining transformation from in situ to invasive disease. Periductal vascular density and phenotype were determined using morphometry and a panel of anti-endothelial antibodies (von Willebrand factor, CD31, CD141 and CD34) and related to the presence of invasive carcinoma and other histological features. Compared to normal lobules, pure ductal carcinoma in situ exhibited a greater density of CD34+ and CD31+ vessels but a decrease in those that were immunopositive for vWF, indicating a difference in phenotype and in density. Ductal carcinoma in situ associated with invasive carcinoma showed a profile of vascular immunostaining similar to that of pure ductal carcinoma in situ but there were significantly greater numbers of CD34+ and CD141+ vessels and fewer staining for vWF. There was a significant negative correlation between vascular density and both the cross-sectional areas of the ducts involved and the extent of the necrosis of the tumour they contained. A correlation between vascular density and nuclear grade was also noted, being highest in the intermediate grade. The greater density of CD34+ and CD141+ vessels around ductal carcinoma in situ associated with invasive carcinoma could reflect a greater predisposition to invade but a direct effect of co-existent invasive carcinoma cannot entirely be ruled out in the present study. The relationship between vascular density, grade, duct size and nuclear grade suggests that periductal angiogenesis increases with tumour growth rate but is unable to keep pace with the most rapidly growing lesions.