Saturday, January 17, 2015

Old Style Disease


We just received a photo from India.  The only history given was that this is the chest wall of a Baiga woman. 


Many years ago, I saw a woman on the wards of a public hospital with breast cancer en cuirasse.

We need more history and a biopsy in this case.  If any of you have seen similar cases, please let us know. En cuirasse carcinoma is one possibility.  Breast cancer en cuirasse is also quite similar to breast carcinoma erysipeloides.

Path Report: Interpreted as "Poorly differentiated malignant neoplasm, melanoma vs adnexal tumor."

References: 
1. Carcinoma en cuirasse : a rare presentation of breast cancer.
Mahore SD1, Bothale KA, Patrikar AD, Joshi AM.
Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2010 Apr-Jun;53(2):351-8. 
Free Full Text Online

2.  Gugle A, Malpathak V, Zawar V, Deshmukh M, Kote R.
Carcinoma erysipeloides: an unusual presentation mimicking radiation dermatitis.  Dermatol Online J. 2008 Feb 28;14(2):26.
Free full text 
(Dr. Zawar kindly alerted us to this article)

2 comments:

  1. from Doug Johnson: Had two breast Ca like the picture in Samoa. They were neglected for years and never metastasized

    ReplyDelete
  2. I also had a patient that presented with breast cancer with extensive skin involvement and draining lymph nodes in the axilla. She refused chemotherapy and chose radiation and prayer. She is still alive 7 years later. Its interesting to consider the role of a persons immune system before they undergo chemotherapy and what may be enhanced with chemo versus disrupted and destroyed with chemo and lymphadenectomies.

    ReplyDelete

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