Abstract Some fibroepithelial lesions (FEL) of the breast are difficult to classify as cellular fibroadenoma (CFA) or benign phyllodes tumor (BPT) due to overlapping histologic features. This indeterminate group is histologically characterized by prominent stromal cellularity, mild atypia, and mitotic activity. The local recurrence potential of cellular FEL (CFEL) has been insufficiently studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the histologic features, characterize the long-term follow-up and recurrence rate of CFEL, and compare this data with the recurrence rate of definitive BPT. Ninety CFEL that were