title: Axillary vein thrombosis as the first clinical manifestation of inflammatory breast cancer: report of a case.
abstract: Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. Venous thromboembolism is often related to cancer conditions but this report presents a case in which the thromboembolic event predicted the diagnosis of cancer. A 48-year-old female was admitted with the evidence of acute right axillary vein thrombosis. There was also erythema and edema of the skin of the right breast. Further evidence revealed a case of inflammatory breast cancer. The patient underwent anticoagulant therapy, and neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy was initiated. The patient underwent extensive unilateral mastectomy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Follow-up (after 2 months of anticoagulation therapy for deep vein thrombosis) revealed recanalization of the right axillary vein, without evidence of residual thrombus. A case of acute vein thrombosis as the first manifestation of breast cancer may delay the diagnosis and subsequent appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Unit of Vascular Surgery, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. rserra@unicz.it
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buffone
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montemurro
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Franciscis
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001367:Axillary Vein; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight