An unusual subcutaneous breast cancer metastasis in a 86-year-old woman

• Published in: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences Vol. 16; no. 4; p. 562
• Main Authors: Metere, A, Di Cosimo, C, Chiesa, C, Esposito, A, Giacomelli, L, Redler, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy 01-04-2012
• Subjects: Abdominal Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Abdominal Neoplasms - secondary; Abdominal Neoplasms - surgery; Abdominal Wall - pathology; Abdominal Wall - surgery; Aged, 80 and over; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - surgery; Carcinoma, Lobular - diagnostic imaging; Carcinoma, Lobular - secondary; Carcinoma, Lobular - surgery; Female; Humans; Mastectomy; Metastasectomy; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - secondary; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome; Whole Body Imaging
• ISSN: 1128-3602

The most common metastasis site of breast cancer are the local and distant lymph nodes, bone, lungs, liver and brain. We report a 86-year-old woman with an unusual abdominal subcutaneous metastasis of breast cancer. The patient was diagnosed with invasive lobular breast cancer and had been treated six months earlier with modified radical mastectomy. Later she presented a painless mass on the middle upper abdominal wall. She was subsequently admitted to the hospital to perform a whole body CT scan, confirming the presence of the abdominal mass in epigastric region, causing a partial compression of the stomach. Histopathological studies confirmed that the abdominal mass was a rare subcutaneous metastatic lesion of breast origin. The patient underwent a surgical intervention to remove the metastasis and she recovered fully.