title: Postmastectomy lymphangiosarcoma: a reappraisal of the concept--a critical review and report of an illustrative case.
abstract: The syndrome of postmastectomy lymphangiosarcoma (LAS) has been universally accepted since it was first outlined by Stewart & Treves (1948), except for a small number of authors who concluded that the neoplasms arising in the chronic lymphoedematous arms were in fact due to retrograde spread from the original breast carcinoma (Laffargue, Pinet & le Go 1960, Giannardi, Pelù & Zampi 1960, Giannardi & Pelù 1961, Delarue 1962, Salm 1963, Laugier, Olmos, Hunziker & Orusco 1973), but their views have been largely ignored. A case is reported in whom neoplastic arm lesions appeared 27 years after mastectomy and were due, in our opinion, to recent metastases from a new primary Carcinoma of the lung. The validity of the entire concept of LAS is re-examined.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D004550:Elbow; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008204:Lymphangiosarcoma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D013997:Time Factors; D014953:Wrist