TY - JOUR
T1 - Contralateral axillary lymph node metastasis as the first evidence of locally recurrent breast carcinoma
AU - Jaffer, Shabnam
AU - Goldfarb, Alisan B.
AU - Gold, Jay E.
AU - Szporn, Arnold
AU - Bleiweiss, Ira J.
PY - 1995/6/15
Y1 - 1995/6/15
N2 - Background. Carcinoma of the breast infrequently presents initially as axillary adenopathy. In such cases, after biopsy proves the presence of metastatic carcinoma, the primary tumor generally is assumed to be in the ipsilateral breast, despite negative mammographic findings and the lack of a clinically palpable breast mass. Methods. The authors recently studied a case of a 50‐year‐old woman in whom recurrent neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast presented as a contralateral axillary lymph node metastasis. After mastectomy ipsilateral to the metastasis proved negative for tumor, a histologic, comparison of the previous contralateral tumor with that in the lymph node was performed, followed by biopsy of the clinically and mammographically negative original lumpectomy site. Results. Histologic and immunohistochemical studies proved that the original, metastatic, and locally recurrent tumors were identical, sharing unusual neuroendocrine features. The patient is currently disease free after chemotherapy. Conclusion. Contralateral mammary carcinoma should be considered in the workup of a patient who presents with evidence of an axillary lymph node metastasis. Locally recurrent breast carcinoma may be clinically and mammographically occult. Histologic review of prior biopsy material and comparison with current tissue is essential in proper patient management. Cancer 1995;75:2875–8.
AB - Background. Carcinoma of the breast infrequently presents initially as axillary adenopathy. In such cases, after biopsy proves the presence of metastatic carcinoma, the primary tumor generally is assumed to be in the ipsilateral breast, despite negative mammographic findings and the lack of a clinically palpable breast mass. Methods. The authors recently studied a case of a 50‐year‐old woman in whom recurrent neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast presented as a contralateral axillary lymph node metastasis. After mastectomy ipsilateral to the metastasis proved negative for tumor, a histologic, comparison of the previous contralateral tumor with that in the lymph node was performed, followed by biopsy of the clinically and mammographically negative original lumpectomy site. Results. Histologic and immunohistochemical studies proved that the original, metastatic, and locally recurrent tumors were identical, sharing unusual neuroendocrine features. The patient is currently disease free after chemotherapy. Conclusion. Contralateral mammary carcinoma should be considered in the workup of a patient who presents with evidence of an axillary lymph node metastasis. Locally recurrent breast carcinoma may be clinically and mammographically occult. Histologic review of prior biopsy material and comparison with current tissue is essential in proper patient management. Cancer 1995;75:2875–8.
KW - axillary lymphadenopathy
KW - breast carcinoma
KW - contralateral metastasis
KW - neuroendocrine carcinoma of breast
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029063576&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/1097-0142(19950615)75:12<2875::AID-CNCR2820751213>3.0.CO;2-A
DO - 10.1002/1097-0142(19950615)75:12<2875::AID-CNCR2820751213>3.0.CO;2-A
M3 - Article
C2 - 7773936
AN - SCOPUS:0029063576
SN - 0008-543X
VL - 75
SP - 2875
EP - 2878
JO - Cancer
JF - Cancer
IS - 12
ER -