Metastasis of breast cancer to liver through direct lymphatic drainage: a case report.

Hiromi Tokisawa, Tomoyuki Aruga, Yuichi Kumaki, Naoko Iwamoto, Rika Yonekura, Toshiyuki Ishiba, Yayoi Honda, Mizuka Suzuki
Author Information
  1. Hiromi Tokisawa: Department of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Disease Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. ORCID
  2. Tomoyuki Aruga: Department of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Disease Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
  3. Yuichi Kumaki: Department of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Disease Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
  4. Naoko Iwamoto: Department of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Disease Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
  5. Rika Yonekura: Department of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Disease Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
  6. Toshiyuki Ishiba: Department of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Disease Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
  7. Yayoi Honda: Department of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Disease Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
  8. Mizuka Suzuki: Department of Radiological Diagnosis, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Disease Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Abstract

Breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) is considered to occur by hematogenous spread of primary breast cancer cells. We herein present a case of lymphatic BCLM that was confirmed by preoperative imaging for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). A woman in her early 70s was diagnosed with clinical stage T2N0M0 invasive lobular cancer of the left breast. She underwent mastectomy with SLNB. Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy showed intense accumulation of isotope in the upper abdomen, corresponding to segment IV of the liver on single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT). However, no abnormalities were detected on magnetic resonance imaging. At 2.5 years postoperatively, the patient's serum CA15-3 concentration was elevated, and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) showed a solitary liver metastasis. The PET/CT findings were similar to the SPECT/CT findings obtained 2.5 years earlier, indicating that the BCLM had developed lymphatically. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of lymphatic BCLM proven by imaging examination.

Keywords

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MeSH Term

Abdomen
Breast Neoplasms
Female
Humans
Liver
Mastectomy
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography

Word Cloud

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