title: Paranasal sinus metastasis of breast cancer.
abstract: A 76-year-old woman presented with symptoms suggestive of acute sinusitis. Previously, her breast carcinoma was treated with right lumpectomy, adjuvant chemotherapy and breast radiotherapy. She remained free from recurrence for the following 8 years. After initial treatment with antibiotics, the local symptom worsened with exophthalmos, eye blindness and development of an ulceration of the hard palate. MRI showed irregular enhancement of the nasal cavity extended to the maxillary sinus and ethmoidal lamina and concomitant infiltration of the orbit and skull base. A biopsy of the palatal ulcer showed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and was compared with the histology of the primary breast tumour and it was concluded for the same morphology. After discussion at the multidisciplinary team, a specific chemotherapy has been activated with an initial local response. Further surgical resection was not thought appropriate and the patient has subsequently undergone palliative radiotherapy to the right paranasal lesions to improve local disease control.
authors: Radiation Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona-Lugano CH.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Pittoni
authors: Medical Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona CH.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Di Lascio
authors: Medical Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona CH Institute of Pathology, Locarno, Switzerland.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Conti-Beltraminelli
authors: Radiation Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona-Lugano CH Institute of Pathology, Locarno, Switzerland Centro di Senologia della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona-Lugano CH.
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Valli
authors: Medical Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona CH.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Espeli
authors: Institute of Pathology, Locarno, Switzerland.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Bongiovanni
authors: Radiation Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona-Lugano CH Institute of Pathology, Locarno, Switzerland Centro di Senologia della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona-Lugano CH.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Richetti
authors: Medical Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona CH Institute of Pathology, Locarno, Switzerland.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Pagani
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary*; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary*; D009915:Orbit / Q000473:pathology; D010157:Palatal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary*; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000473:pathology; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary*; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000473:pathology*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D019291:Skull Base / Q000473:pathology