[Breast metastasis: anatomoclinical study of six cases].
BACKGROUND
Breast metastases are rare. They represent 0.4 to 6% of all breast cancers. Our aim is to discuss the means of diagnosis and the clinicopathological features.


METHODS
We report a retrospective survey of six cases of breast metastases diagnosed over a period of 11 years (1992-2003) in the laboratory of anatomy and pathological cytology of the university hospital of Sfax. The diagnosis was carried on a material of cytoponction in two cases, a biopsy in three cases, a surgery specimen in one case. Immunohistochemical study was performed in four cases. Clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary data were collected from the files of patients.


RESULTS
Metastases to the breast constituted 0.43% of all breast cancers. The primary tumors understood a case of gingival-maxillary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a case of retroauricular melanoma, a case of soft tissue leiomyosarcoma, a case of uterine choriocarcinoma, a case of rectal neuroendocrine carcinoma and a case of gastric signet cell carcinoma. All patients were women, the middle age was 45.5 years. In three cases the metastases to the breast was concomitant to the diagnosis of the primitive tumour. Clinically it was a nodule in five cases, the size average was 2.3cm, and a subareolar thickening in one case. The mammary involvement was bilateral in two cases. The middle survival after the diagnosis was eight months.


CONCLUSIONS
Metastases to the breast must be distinguished from primary breast cancers whose treatment and outcome are different. A confrontation of clinical and pathological data is recommended for an accurate diagnosis. Immunohistochemical study is of great interest particularly when the breast tumour is revealing the disease.
Charfi
S
S
Laboratoire d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologiques, CHU Habib-Bourguiba, Sfax 3029, Tunisie.
Makni
S Krichen
SK
Khanfir
A
A
Abbes
K
K
Gouiaa
N
N
Fakhfakh
I
I
Guermazi
M
M
Daoud
J
J
Frikha
M
M
Sellami-Boudawara
T
T
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis