Invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast presenting as retroperitoneal fibrosis: a case report

Abstract

IntroductionInvasive lobular carcinoma of the breast represents approximately 6.3% of mammary malignancies. Distant metastasis of invasive lobular carcinoma to the peritoneum or retroperitoneum has been reported fairly frequently.Case presentationWe report the case of a 59-year-old Caucasian-Canadian woman with invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast presenting with retroperitoneal fibrosis and bilateral ureteral obstruction. Intra-operative pathology consultation did not reveal malignancy. The diagnosis, however, was confirmed on permanent sections by histological appearance in addition to immunohistochemistry. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast presenting with retroperitoneal fibrosis.ConclusionIn a case of unexplained ureteric obstruction and retroperitoneal fibrosis, more comprehensive physical examination and additional ancillary studies may be warranted to rule out malignancy as an underlying etiology. This case also emphasizes that intra-operative frozen section consultation cannot always be fully relied upon to exclude a malignancy as the etiology of retroperitoneal fibrosis. Moreover, in permanent histopathology sections, immunohistochemistry testing can be of value to rule out metastatic disease where the morphology is not salient. There is a need for a thorough physical examination of patients with retroperitoneal fibrosis, including the breast and gynecological organs.

Rare abdominal metastases from occult lobular breast cancer: report of two cases

“…The interval time from first diagnosis and recurrence varies from a few months to years and synchronous presentation is an extremely rare event [7,9,12]. Rarer is to find such kind of metastases in the absence of known or clinically evident primary breast cancer [6][7][8][10][11][12].…”

“…Rarer is to find such kind of metastases in the absence of known or clinically evident primary breast cancer [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Two cases of intra-abdominal metastasis from occult breast cancer are described here, in two patients admitted to our Surgery Department for complaints of jaundice and rectal bleeding, respectively.…”

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase–positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma presenting as retroperitoneal fibrosis

“…Often, the condition is associated with other autoimmune conditions, especially those that fall into the category of IgG4-related sclerosing diseases [2]. In contrast, secondary RF seems to affect a broader age of patients and has been linked to several conditions including drug reactions, malignancy, infection, radiation therapy, surgical changes, and amyloidosis [1,4,5].…”

Metastatic Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast Masquerading as a Primary Renal Malignancy = ورم الكلية قد يكون مؤشرا لإنتشار سرطان الثدي الحويصلي

“…Distant metastases in the retroperitoneum, gastrointestinal tracts, leptomeninges, orbit and genitourinary tract have been reported more frequently in ILC. 7 Most cases of breast cancer metastasising to the urinary tract are detected as a part of disseminated disease either during follow-up or at autopsy. A review of autopsies in 181 cases of metastatic breast cancer showed ureteral involvement in 8.3% of cases.…”