Vitiligo as a Köebner phenomenon after oncoplastic breast surgery

Abstract

The Köebner phenomenon is characterized by the appearance of several types of dermatological lesions after traumatic stimulation. The triggering of this phenomenon after breast surgery is uncommon and usually associated with psoriatic lesions. The aim of this study was to describe two cases of vitiligo as the initial manifestation of Köebner phenomenon after breast oncoplastic surgery. Case 1: female, 41 years old, no history of dermatological pathologies, presenting with tubular carcinoma in the right breast. Quadrantectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy were performed, followed by reconstruction with mammoplasty. Later, the patient started on tamoxifen and underwent radiotherapy, without complications. Thirty days after treatment, the patient presented progressive depigmentation of the areola-papillary complex. Topical treatment was started with dermatological ointment tacrolimus monohydrate and, after one year, the condition was completely resolved. Case 2: 52-yearold woman with previous history of vitiligo on the face, with complete clinical response after dermatological treatment. She was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ on the left breast and underwent quadrantectomy, by means of mammoplasty using the round block technique. Afterwards, she underwent radiotherapy and started tamoxifen. Four years after the surgery, she developed dyschromia in the ipsilateral periareolar region and was diagnosed with vitiligo. Local dermopigmentation was offered, but the patient opted for an expectant conduct and clinical follow-up. To our knowledge, this is the first description of Köebner phenomenon after breast oncoplastic surgery. In these cases, the therapeutic approach must be multidisciplinary and count on the assessment of multiple clinical and individual parameters.