Giant Cell Arteritis of the Breast and Breast Cancer: Paraneoplastic Manifestation or Concomitant Disease? A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) of the breast is one of the less recognized variants of this vasculitis and may represent an isolated finding or a manifestation of a more widespread disease. Case Report: We present the case of a 74-year-old woman with malaise and a 14-day persistent fever, reaching 38°C. There was a bilateral, painless and mobile axillary lymphadenopathy and a slight tenderness over the medial and lateral upper quadrants of her left breast, as well as an independent palpable tender mass in the upper outer quadrant of the same breast measuring 2 cm in its greatest diameter. Constitutional symptoms, anemia and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate suggestive of polymyalgia rheumatica were also present. An invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with coincidental pathologic findings of GCA in the same biopsy specimen was revealed. In this case, arteritis was limited to the breast and presented with diffuse breast tenderness. No other artery was involved by GCA. All arteritis-related symptoms disappeared after the removal of the tumor. Conclusions: There is a relationship between cancer, particularly breast cancer, and GCA of the same organ, but the real nature of this association still remains unknown.

Breast panniculitis with liquefactive fat necrosis: A case report

“…The patient did not suffer a relapse. Others also reported the isolated breast panniculitis cases that had an excellent prognosis with resection only (17,18). Our patient was complicated by fever, nodular erythema of both lower extremities, and ESR elevation.…”

Isolated panniculitis with vasculitis of the male breast suspicious for malignancy on CT and ultrasound: a case report and literature review

“…To date, seventeen cases of isolated BPWV have been reported without evidence of systemic vasculitis (Hernandez-Rodriguez et al 2008; Kafantari et al 2008). Only one of the 17 cases was male.…”

Giant Cell Temporal Arteritis Associated with Overlying Basal Cell Carcinoma: Co-Incidence or Connection?

“…12 A report of an invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with concomitant breast-limited GCA was also noted. 13 In a study of 35,918 patients hospitalized for treatment of GCA (either diagnosed with PMR or TA), 3941 patients developed subsequent cancer; the authors noted that this translated to a 19% increased incidence of cancer in patients with GCA relative to controls with a notable increased risk of skin cancer and acute myeloid leukemia. 6 In another study of 271 patients diagnosed with GCA by Liozon et al , subsequent malignancy was noted in 20 patients.…”