Fallopian tube cancer presenting as inflammatory breast carcinoma: report of a case and review of the literature.
Metastases of ovarian or fallopian tube carcinomas to the breast and axillary lymph nodes are quite uncommon and usually occur in advanced stages. These metastases may represent a pitfall for the pathologist, because they may mimic primary breast carcinoma. A 56-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with a left-sided pelvic tumor, redness and swelling of the right breast and palpable right axillary nodes and left lower neck and supraclavicular lymphadenopathy. The imaging, surgical and pathologic findings were those of a papillary serous carcinoma of the fallopian tube with metastases to the breast, axillary and neck lymph nodes. It is important that metastasis to the breast be differentiated accurately from primary breast cancer, because prognosis and treatment differ significantly. Imaging, immunohistochemical analysis and pathology can help in making the correct diagnosis.
Papakonstantinou
K
K
2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieion Hospital, Athens, Greece. k_papakon@yahoo.gr
Antoniou
A
A
Palialexis
K
K
Politi
E
E
Karvouni
E
E
Fotiou
S
S
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D018293:Cystadenoma, Serous / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography