Open AccessAn atypical presentation of breast cancer metastasis
Author(s) -
George Garas,
Adam Stacey-Clear,
Steve Whitaker,
Jeremy Collyer
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr.10.2008.1061
Subject(s) - medicine , axillary lymph node dissection , mandible (arthropod mouthpart) , breast cancer , biopsy , metastasis , outpatient clinic , oral and maxillofacial surgery , lesion , surgery , mastectomy , radiation therapy , breast surgery , cancer , radiology , sentinel lymph node , botany , biology , genus
A 78-year-old woman heard a crack in her left mandible while eating a biscuit and reported to her dentist, who urgently referred her to the oral and maxillofacial surgery department. On examination she had a lesion in the body of her left mandible, which had eroded through the lower border and caused a pathological fracture. Her past medical history included a left mastectomy and level II axillary lymph node dissection for a 27 mm grade III invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast 9 months prior to her mandibular fracture. A transoral incisional biopsy was performed which confirmed the mandibular lesion to be an osteolytic metastasis from the breast. The metastasis was subsequently surgically removed and the remaining mandible repaired with a reconstruction plate followed by postoperative radiotherapy. The patient regained full function of her mandible and is now eating normally. She is being closely followed-up in the oncology outpatient department.