Thrombophlebitis of the lateral chest wall (Mondor's disease).

ABSTRACT

Mondor's disease is a rare condition, which involves the thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the breast and anterior chest wall. A 37-year-old woman presented with sudden onset of local pain and edema on her right chest wall, accompanied by a longitudinal retraction of the skin during arm abduction in the area. Clinical, histological and ultrasonographic findings confirmed Mondor's disease and the treatment was symptomatic, using pain relievers and warm compresses. The symptomatology remitted within 2 weeks of therapy. Mondor's disease is a rare condition where ultrasound complements the clinical evaluation and allows the characterization of certain abnormalities, which correlated with functional biochemical data and other procedures may substitute the need of biopsy.