A Case of Intralymphatic Histiocytosis Associated with Breast Cancer / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

Intralymphatic histiocytosis (IH) is a rare disease with variable and nonspecific clinical features, but with characteristic histopathological findings. Histopathologically, dilated lymphatic vessels containing aggregates of mononuclear cells are observed near the reticular dermis. IH is often associated with other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, joint metal implantation, and with breast cancer where it occurs over the mastectomy scar. Although the pathogenesis of IH is not defined, some authors have suggested that lymphatic vessel engorgement by histiocytes migrating from neighboring inflammatory reactions may play a key pathogenic role. We present a case of IH associated with breast cancer. A 50-year-old female developed multiple tender erythematous plaques on both breasts and the right shoulder 3 years after bilateral mastectomy. To our knowledge, this is the first case of IH in association with breast cancer in the Korean dermatologic literature.