Breast cancer causing retraction of the skin.

BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer (BC) can occasionally affect the skin.

• BC recpresents 30% of all cutuaneous metastases, second only to melanoma.
• BC is the most common malignancy to metastasize to the skin in women
• 6% of patients with breast cancer have cutaneous involvement at diagnosis
• About 3.5% of cases have cutaneous lesion as the presenting sign of breast cancer

Clinical

A solitary nodule or an indurated plaque of the breast is most common. A larger, peau d'orange appearance may be seen. Nipple or skin retraction may occur. With lymphangitic spread, a large erythematous plaque may develop--resembling erysipelas, except for its prolonged and relatively static state. Induration in the inframammary crease is one rare presentation of breast cancer. In exceptional cases, a breast cancer may be pigmented.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare but aggressive form of breast cancer where cancer cells block the lymphatic vessels in the skin, causing the breast to become red, swollen, and inflamed. This can mimic the symptoms of a breast infection, making diagnosis challenging.

Carcinoma en cuirasse is a rare form of metastatic cutaneous carcinoma characterized by extensive induration and fibrosis of the skin, resembling a thick, leathery breastplate or armor. It most commonly occurs after mastectomy for breast cancer, but can also be seen with other primary cancers like lung, kidney, or gastrointestinal cancers

BC may metastasize to the skin anywhere on the body. BC may cause alopecia neoplastica.

Breast Cancer in the inframammary area causing puckering of the skin.

Metastatic adenocarcinoma of the breast.

Breast cancer metastatic to the scalp causing alopecia.

RegionalDerm

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