A breast surgeon's paranoia pays off: the importance of keen clinical acumen in a case of postradiotherapy breast angiosarcoma.
A 72-year-old woman underwent left wide local excision and an axillary node sampling in 2005 for a T2, N0, M0 invasive ductal carcinoma followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy. In 2011, she developed spontaneous blue breast discolouration. Initial examination revealed global breast firmness, skin thickening and ecchymosis. Despite no evidence of recurrent disease, the patient was scheduled for fortnightly review. This review demonstrated marked worsening discolouration and new nipple areolar complex blood-filled blisters. Despite concurrent antiplatelet therapy as a possible cause, the breast clinician's clinical concern of angiosarcoma led to a skin punch biopsy, revealing only non-specific lymphocytic infiltrate. Interval mammographic assessment demonstrated non-specific architectural distortion. Regardless of these benign findings, a breast MRI was performed demonstrating possible breast angiosarcoma. Ultrasound-guided biopsy demonstrated low-grade breast angiosarcoma. The patient underwent completion mastectomy, for a 150 mm high-grade postradiotherapy angiosarcoma. Annual clinical review and contralateral mammography is planned.
Breast and General Surgery, South Eastern Cancer Centre, Waterford City, Ireland.
Adeel
A
Zafar
Peter
P
Neary
Gerrard
G
O'Donoghue
Constantino
C
Fiuza-Castinieria
D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects