A large metastatic intramammary lesion of an occult melanoma

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Eleonora Nacchiero
Stefania Stucci
Paolo Annoscia
Michelangelo Vestita
Rossella Elia
Paolo Claudio Marannino

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Malignant melanomas presenting with unknown primaries are uncommon. In the majority of cases metastases of occult melanoma were detected in skin or in lymph nodes. Melanoma can rarely occur as a primary or metastatic intramammary tumor.


CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 58-year-old Caucasian woman who came to our department with a voluminous mass in her right breast. Histopathological examination found metastasis of epithelioid melanoma with unknown primary lesion. Our patient underwent a radical enlarged mastectomy, but due to the extension a radical removal was not possible.


DISCUSSION: In 2.2% of cases, melanoma may present with a metastasis without an identifiable primary lesion; this case should be considered a stage IV melanoma (Tx; N1; M1) due to the extension of the lesion and the infiltration of adjacent structures.


CONCLUSIONS: In literature, the presence of a breast metastasis of melanoma with unknown primary origin was reported just in one case. The execution of histopathological analysis is mandatory for a correct differential diagnosis with primary carcinoma of the breast. Palliative metastasectomy should be discussed with multidisciplinary melanoma board.

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How to Cite
Nacchiero, Eleonora, et al. “A Large Metastatic Intramammary Lesion of an Occult Melanoma”. Annali Italiani Di Chirurgia, vol. 88, no. 6, Nov. 2017, pp. 553-6, https://annaliitalianidichirurgia.it/index.php/aic/article/view/2394.
Section
Case Report