IMR Press / EJGO / Volume 24 / Issue 6 / pii/2003238

European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology (EJGO) is published by IMR Press from Volume 40 Issue 1 (2019). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.

Case Report

Breast cancer metastatic to the vulva after local recurrence occurring on a rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap: A case report and review of the literature

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1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Genoa, San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy
2 Department of Pathology, University of Genoa, San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy
Eur. J. Gynaecol. Oncol. 2003, 24(6), 577–579;
Published: 10 December 2003
Abstract

Introduction: Vulvar metastases are the third largest group of malignant tumors of the vulva. We report the tenth case of breast cancer vulvar metastases arising 11 years after the primary diagnosis of breast ductal carcinoma and the first occurring eight years after a local recurrence on a rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap. Case Report: A 49-year-old woman presented with a voluminous lump of the left labium majus and enlargement of the ipsilateral inguinal lymph nodes. The mass was removed together with the ipsilateral inguinal lymph nodes. Microscopic evaluation of the removed lump revealed massive carcinomatous infiltration. No in situ lesions nor normal breast tissue were identified. Conclusions: Unusual breast cancer metastases sites should not be ruled out. Our case differs from the preceding cases because this patient underwent plastic surgery with reconstruction of the breast with a rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap one year after mastectomy and developed a local recurrence three years thereafter. It can be hypothesized that lymphatic spread through newly formed lymphatics occurred.

Keywords
Vulvar metastases
Breast carcinoma
Myocutaneous flap
Lymphatic spread
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