title: Atypical case of ecthyma gangrenosum mimicking a breast cancer recurrence.
abstract: A 68-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer presented with skin lesions and sternal pain. Clinical examination revealed ulcerative lesions on mastectomy scar and CT scan showed contiguous sternal osteolysis. The main hypothesis was a breast cancer recurrence; however, cutaneous and bone biopsies did not reveal any cancer cells. Skin tissue culture detected Pseudomonas aeruginosa, suggesting ecthyma gangrenosum despite the absence of bacteraemia in our patient and despite her immunocompetence. Surgical treatment was performed, followed by a long course of antibiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Hopital de Jolimont, Haine Saint Paul, Belgium.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seront
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Infectiology, Hopital de Jolimont, Haine Saint Paul, Belgium.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kidd
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Dermatology, Hopital de Jolimont, Haine Saint Paul, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tanguy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hopital de Jolimont, Haine Saint Paul, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Ruyssevelt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004473:Ecthyma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents