ANGIOSARCOMA IN POST-MASTECTOMY LYMPHOEDEMA - REPORT OF ONE CASE OF STEWART-TREVES SYNDROME

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 66  (5) , 251-253
Abstract
A 67 yr old woman developed lymphoedema in the ipsilateral arm about 1/2 yr after radical mastectomy for carcinoma of the breast with no metastases. Eleven years later she developed an angiosarcoma in the same upper arm and this spread rapidly to the forearm and chest wall. She had considerable bleeding from the lesions and had to be given repeated blood transfusions. Radiotherapy was without effect and she died of pulmonary emboli 3 mo. after the diagnosis of angiosarcoma was made. No sign of distant metastases, but a small carcinoma was found in the right breast. On going through the literature, 206 cases of Stewart-Treves syndrome (development of angiosarcoma in postmastectomy lymphoedema), 7 of which were from Scandinavia, were found.