Lymphangiosarcoma after Filarial Infection

Abstract

A case of lymphangiosarcoma of a lower extremity is described in a patient with chronic lymphedema of that leg from a filarial infection in childhood. Histologically, the neoplasm resembled lymphangiosarcomas that arise in arms that become lymphedematous after mastectomies, but was different in that it also contained areas of calcification consistent with prior filarial infection. Calcifications were also present in muscle uninvolved by the lymphangiosarcoma of this case. The prolonged survival of this patient is unlike that of most patients with lymphangiosarcoma, which is generally shorter. Although lymphedema after filariasis is common, this is the first case of a lymphangiosarcoma arising in chronic lymphedema of filarial origin.

MYC High Level Gene Amplification Is a Distinctive Feature of Angiosarcomas after Irradiation or Chronic Lymphedema

“…3,4 Other factors with an adverse impact on prognosis are older age, tumor necrosis, and epitheloid features. 5 Tumors can arise either de novo (primary AS, pAS) or as secondary conditions in patients with long standing lymphedema 6,7 or after irradiation 8 (secondary AS; sAS), especially in female patients irradiated for breast cancer. In fact, sAS of the breast is by far the most frequent radiation-induced sarcoma in women treated with radiation therapy as part of their initial treatment, 9 with a more than 1000-fold increased relative risk 10 as compared with the general population.…”

Syndrome de Stewart-Treves

“…L'angiosarcome développé dans un lymphoedème d'une autre origine, congé nital ou acquis [3,11,18,22,25] doit échap per à la terminologie de syndrome de Ste wart-Treves. La distinction est plus aisée avec l'angiosarcome proprement dit [2,17] et l'hémangioendothéliome malin de la face chez la personne âgée [9,17].…”

Cutaneous Angiosarcoma in Chronic Lymphedema: Secondary to Filariasis

“…Muller et al [3] mentioned three cases. Sordillo et al [4], Sinclair et al [5], Hallel-Halevy et al [6], Komorowski et al [7] have also reported cases of angiosarcoma in long-standing elephantiasis.…”