Abstract
A 79-year-old women, who 13 years earlier underwent a typical mastectomy for solid ductal carcinoma of the right breast, 6 months later developed postmastectomy lymphedema in the right arm and experienced repeated remissions and exacerbations. Twelve years after the surgery, erythema associated with suggilations, and dark red papules on the erythema developed on the flexor side of the right upper arm.
Histologically, the lesions appeared to be angiosarcoma and led to the diagnosis of Stewart-Treves syndrome due to chronic postsurgical lymphedema on the affected side. Tests for Factor VIII, CD34, CD31 were positive in the region of the tumor cells. Therapy consisted of IL-2 injection and electron beam irradiation. Five weeks after initiation of the therapy the lesions expanded. Therapy centered on pain relief, but the patient died 115 days after the first visit. This disease is rare and revealed the importance of terminal care. [Skin Cancer (Japan) 2007; 22: 22-26]
