Premium
Chronic lymphoedema and angiosarcoma
Author(s) -
Azurdia,
Guérin,
Verbov
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2230.1999.00476.x
Subject(s) - medicine , angiosarcoma , radiation therapy , mastectomy , hemangiosarcoma , chemotherapy , surgery , radiology , breast cancer , cancer
Angiosarcoma has frequently been described arising within chronic lymphoedema of the upper limb following mastectomy and radiotherapy for carcinoma of the breast. We report a case of angiosarcoma arising in a lymphoedematous leg that had been subjected to radiotherapy 20 years previously for Hodgkin's disease. The diagnosis was expedited once the patient noticed the development of bleeding nodules. Prognosis of angiosarcoma is poor with treatment options being wide‐excision surgery, palliative radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Unusual bruised areas or bleeding nodules developing within chronic lymphoedematous limbs should be biopsied to exclude the diagnosis.