Epithelioid angiosarcoma of the breast involving the skin: a highly aggressive neoplasm readily mistaken for mammary carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Angiosarcomas are malignant neoplasms of endothelial cells. Angiosarcoma of the breast is a rare neoplasm that behaves in a highly malignant fashion. It must be differentiated from benign vascular proliferations and from mammary carcinoma.


METHODS
We report on a 49-year-old-woman who presented with a large mass involving the left breast.


RESULTS
The lesion had an erythematoviolaceous hue and livedoid pattern at the periphery. Histopathologic study showed an epithelioid malignant neoplasm, and immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that neoplastic cells expressed immunoreactivity for endothelial cell markers.


CONCLUSIONS
A diagnosis of epithelioid angiosarcoma of the breast was established. The patient was treated with radical mastectomy, but she refused any other additional therapy.
Fariña
M C
MC
Department of Dermatology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain. mcfarina@fjd.es
Casado
V
V
Renedo
G
G
Estévez
L
L
Martín
L
L
Requena
L
L
D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D005169:Factor VIII