A Case of Atypical Vascular Lesion of the Skin following Radiotherapy for Breast Carcinoma

Kim, Young Hun; Lee, Yeong Kyu; Choi, Kyu Won; Lee, Chae Wook; Kim, Ki Ho

Abstract

"Atypical vascular lesions" is the term which was first used in 1994 by Fineberg and Rosen for vascular lesions after radiation therapy except for cutaneous angiosarcoma. Vascular lesions mostly occur after radiation therapy in breast cancer patients who have undergone mastectomy. The lesions are 5 mm or less, red or red-brown papules, histologically dilated vascular channels extended as the superficial and mid-dermis are observed. Post-radiation vascular lesions tend to follow a benign course with metastasis or death not having been reported yet. The lesions look histologically similar to well differentiated cutaneous angiosarcoma occurring after radiation therapy and breast reconstruction, indeed it is possible for post-radiation vascular lesions to become cutaneous angiosarcoma. Atypical vascular lesions have recently become a new issue for concern in some countries. Within Korea however, until now, a case it had not yet been reported. The patient was 50 year-old female who had chemotherapy after Modified Radical Mastectomy and salpingoophorectomy for breast cancer and endometriosis, atypical vascular lesions in the field of radiation therapy occurred. We report an interesting case of atypical vascular lesion.