Atypical vascular lesions after conservative surgery and radiation of breast cancer: report of a case and review of the literature / 临床与实验病理学杂志

ABSTRACT

Purpose To describe the clinical and pathological features of atypical vascular lesions (AVLs) after conservative surgery and radiation of the breast cancer,and to discuss the association with post-radiation angiosarcoma.Methods The clinical and pathological features in one case of AVLs was evaluated.The literatures were reviewed.Results The patient is a 57-yeAR~-old female who underwent a conservative surgery of the right breast because of a carcinoma.She received standard dose of radiation as adjuvant therapy.Three years later, multiple erythematous plaques developed around the former scar, which radiated to the nipple.Clinically,the plaques were considered as relapses of the carcinoma.However, fine needle aspiration gave negative results.Biopsy of one large plague revealed a circumscribed vascular lesion confined to the superficial dermis.It was composed of thin-walled anastomosing lymphatic vessels lined by attenuated endothelial cells.In focal areas, the vessels extended to the mid-dermis.Immunohistochemically, the endothelial cells were positive for CD31, CD34 and D2-40,with absent of α-SMA positive pericytes.Review of the breast tumor sections showed an invasive micropapillary carcinoma.Conclusions AVLs is a rare vascular lesion related with conservative surgery and post-radiation therapy of the breast.AVLs may represent as a precursor of breast angiosarcoma.Being familiar with the clinicopathologic characteristics of AVLs is important not only for the pathologists but also for the clinicians.