Lymphangiosarcoma in postmastectomy lymphedema.Five-hear survival with irradiation treatment

Multiple nodules soon appeared and gradually increased in size, some of them becoming confluent but without ulceration, and the patient was referred for examination following a biopsy of one of these nodules.

Abstract

S and classified as a specific disease entity lymphangiosarcoma occurring in a postmastectomy lymphedematous extremity.Without a doubt, as was emphasized at that time, many similar cases had previously been observed.However, the exact nature of the proccss had been overlooked and the clinical state was interpreted as a manifestation of disseminated cutaneous metastases of the original mammary cancer.Just at the time of presentation of the original article, we had the opportunity to observe a similar case.Alerted to the possible existence of this malignant disease, separate from the original tumor, we were able to establish the proper diagnosis and to have it confirmed by Stewart.CLINICAL ABSTRACT M. K. was 49 years old when shc was referred to us by her family physician because of multiple small lesions involving the skin of her lymphedematous arm.T h e nodules had been present for some months and had been gradually increasing in size.T h e patient gave a history of having had a left radical mastectomy at the age ol 41, eight years previously.T h e specimen removed at that time contained adenocarcinoma of the breast without nodal metastases.After the operation she developed lymphedema of the extremity that persisted through the intervening years.Some months prior to examination, the patient noted the presence of a small, raised cutaneous nodule on her left and lymphedematous arm.Multiple nodules soon appeared and gradually increased in size, some of them becoming confluent but without ulceration.T h e patient was referred for examination following a biopsy of one of these nodules.Clinically, the patient had the characteristic brawny, slightly pitting edema of her left arm that is occasionally encountered after radical mastectomy even in the absence of recurrent