Abstract
Background. Breast cancer tends to recur often after long-term latency. Most recurrence is within 5 years after curative surgery, it is uncommon to recur after over 15 years. We can correctly diagnose the recurrence of breast cancer after long-term latency to the contralateral pleura and hilar lymph nodes by transbronchial biopsy (TBB). Case. A 73-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of abnormal shadows on her chest X-ray film. She had undergone right radical mastectomy 15 years before. Chest CT revealed multiple nodules continued from the pleura of her left lung. Bronchoscopy was performed to biopsy of the nodules. Although her breast cancer was on the right side and the nodules in her chest were on the left, we suspected the nodules were pleural with hilar lymph nodes metastases from the recurrence of her breast cancer. With pathological approach by immunostainings, it was diagnosed. Conclusion. With immunostaining, TBB by bronchoscopy is very useful to accurately diagnose the pleural and hilar lymph nodes metastases from the recurrence of breast cancer after long-term latency following the radical mastectomy.
