Lymphoma of the breast: A mimic of inflammatory breast cancer

Abstract

BackgroundUnusual presentation of breast lymphoma with signs and symptoms suggestive of inflammatory breast cancer.DiscussionLymphoma of the breast is uncommon whether it is primary or secondary. Most breast lymphomas are of B cell origin. The most frequent mode of presentation is a painless breast mass. The clinical presentation of localized left breast erythema and edema with an associated left breast mass is common for an inflammatory breast cancer but highly unusual for lymphoma of the breast.ConclusionIn patients with a left breast mass associated with erythema and edema, the differential diagnosis should include breast lymphoma in addition.

Primary breast lymphoma: A mimic of inflammatory breast cancer

“…Breast lymphoma may occur as either a primary (PBL) or a secondary (SBL) lesion [ 15 ]. The designation PBL is used when the breast is the principal or, as in most cases, the only site of lymphoma [ 11 ].…”

Primary Breast T Cell Lymphoma Involving Nipple-Areolar Complex in a Young Patient

“…Involvement of the nipple-areolar complex, as in our patient, is rare. A rare form of presentation in young child bearing women may be bilateral breast masses resembling inflammatory carcinoma with rapid dissemination, especially to the Central Nervous System [7]. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is more common than Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in the breast.…”

Cutaneous Hematopathology

“…On occasion, metastatic breast cancer may permeate the dermis as individual single cells and may be mistaken for a (nonneoplastic) infl ammatory infi ltrate (Weedon 2010 ). Primary lymphoma of the breast, a rare entity, has been described as presenting clinically as infl ammatory breast carcinoma, an entity constituting 0.04-0.5 % of breast neoplasms and characterized by plugging of dermal lymphatics by a poorly differentiated ductal carcinoma with an associated mixed population of infl ammatory cells (Anne and Pallapothu 2011 ). Differentiating metastatic breast carcinoma from leukemia cutis often necessitates the use of immunohistochemistry.…”