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Extensive metastatic inflammatory breast carcinoma

Case contributed by Michael P Hartung
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Left arm swelling.

Patient Data

Age: 75 years
Gender: Female

Extensively abnormal exam.

Large, partially calcified soft tissue mass in the left breast with decreased size of the left breast when compared to the right. Extensive skin thickening overlying the left chest with infiltration of the chest wall, pectoralis, axillary (latissimus dorsi) musculature. Nodular skin thickening along the left flank and posterior subcutaneous tissues. Right axillary adenopathy with skin thickening throughout the right breast.

Large left pleural effusion with pleural and pulmonary metastatic disease. Mediastinal and hilar adenopathy with right lung metastasis.

A few hepatic lesions are partially imaged in segment IVb. 

Case Discussion

Very dramatic case of widely metastatic and advanced inflammatory breast carcinoma, with extensive soft tissue and solid organ metastases reflecting a combination of dermal lymphatic and hematogenous spread.

Two years before this scan, the patient was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast, and opted for homeopathic/alternative treatment only after not tolerating standard chemotherapy. 

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