Diverse Presentations of Carcinoma Erysipelatoides from a Teaching Hospital in Australia

Inflammatory breast carcinoma is a rare form of advanced breast cancer which carries a poor prognosis, even with treatment. Diagnosis is reached on clinical and pathological grounds; however, due to its propensity to mimic other conditions, it may often be delayed or missed by attending physicians....

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Main Authors: Hui Ting Chow, Kim Tran, Ewan K. A. Millar, Jodi Lynch, Dedee F. Murrell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/134938
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author Hui Ting Chow
Kim Tran
Ewan K. A. Millar
Jodi Lynch
Dedee F. Murrell
author_facet Hui Ting Chow
Kim Tran
Ewan K. A. Millar
Jodi Lynch
Dedee F. Murrell
author_sort Hui Ting Chow
collection DOAJ
description Inflammatory breast carcinoma is a rare form of advanced breast cancer which carries a poor prognosis, even with treatment. Diagnosis is reached on clinical and pathological grounds; however, due to its propensity to mimic other conditions, it may often be delayed or missed by attending physicians. This case series describes four patients seen at our institution with a diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer; 3 patients had a history of previously treated breast malignancy. In these cases, the emergence of a new breast lesion evaded initial diagnosis due to incomplete initial physical examination, falsely reassuring imaging results, lack of recognition that a cellulitis picture can resemble metastatic carcinoma, and inconclusive initial biopsy sections. These obstacles to achieve diagnosis serve to further worsen the prognosis by delaying the initiation of multimodality treatment which can improve survival. The purpose of our paper is to increase awareness among breast cancer specialists of the importance of undressing the patient for basic clinical examination of the breasts, recognition of the appearances of this type of local recurrence of breast cancer, and not to rely purely on ultrasound and mammography due to delay in diagnosis in some of our local cases. Sometimes deeper sections and repeat biopsies are needed to make the diagnosis.
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institution Kabale University
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series Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine
spelling doaj-art-7791c1ead30a46ac934535e536f801532025-02-03T01:08:00ZengWileyCase Reports in Dermatological Medicine2090-64632090-64712012-01-01201210.1155/2012/134938134938Diverse Presentations of Carcinoma Erysipelatoides from a Teaching Hospital in AustraliaHui Ting Chow0Kim Tran1Ewan K. A. Millar2Jodi Lynch3Dedee F. Murrell4Department of Dermatology, St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2217, AustraliaDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, South Eastern Area Laboratory Service, St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2217, AustraliaDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, South Eastern Area Laboratory Service, St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2217, AustraliaCancer Care, St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2217, AustraliaDepartment of Dermatology, St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2217, AustraliaInflammatory breast carcinoma is a rare form of advanced breast cancer which carries a poor prognosis, even with treatment. Diagnosis is reached on clinical and pathological grounds; however, due to its propensity to mimic other conditions, it may often be delayed or missed by attending physicians. This case series describes four patients seen at our institution with a diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer; 3 patients had a history of previously treated breast malignancy. In these cases, the emergence of a new breast lesion evaded initial diagnosis due to incomplete initial physical examination, falsely reassuring imaging results, lack of recognition that a cellulitis picture can resemble metastatic carcinoma, and inconclusive initial biopsy sections. These obstacles to achieve diagnosis serve to further worsen the prognosis by delaying the initiation of multimodality treatment which can improve survival. The purpose of our paper is to increase awareness among breast cancer specialists of the importance of undressing the patient for basic clinical examination of the breasts, recognition of the appearances of this type of local recurrence of breast cancer, and not to rely purely on ultrasound and mammography due to delay in diagnosis in some of our local cases. Sometimes deeper sections and repeat biopsies are needed to make the diagnosis.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/134938
spellingShingle Hui Ting Chow
Kim Tran
Ewan K. A. Millar
Jodi Lynch
Dedee F. Murrell
Diverse Presentations of Carcinoma Erysipelatoides from a Teaching Hospital in Australia
Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine
title Diverse Presentations of Carcinoma Erysipelatoides from a Teaching Hospital in Australia
title_full Diverse Presentations of Carcinoma Erysipelatoides from a Teaching Hospital in Australia
title_fullStr Diverse Presentations of Carcinoma Erysipelatoides from a Teaching Hospital in Australia
title_full_unstemmed Diverse Presentations of Carcinoma Erysipelatoides from a Teaching Hospital in Australia
title_short Diverse Presentations of Carcinoma Erysipelatoides from a Teaching Hospital in Australia
title_sort diverse presentations of carcinoma erysipelatoides from a teaching hospital in australia
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/134938
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