Stewart-Treves syndrome: case report - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia

The authors present a case of lymphangiosarcoma in the upper left limb of a 52-year-old patient previously submitted to a left-sided modified radical mastectomy followed by radiotherapy due to breast cancer six years earlier. This rare syndrome is associated with chronic lymphedema as a consequence of radical mastectomy followed by radiotherapy. Approximately 400 cases have been reported in the literature. The infrequent occurrence of this disease and the rather innocuous appearance of the tumor often lead to late diagnosis and treatment. In the present case, the diagnosis was based on an incision biopsy of the lesion and confirmed immunohistochemically using endothelial markers, antibodies (anti-CD31), vimentin and muscle actin. The patient’s limb was amputated and no local or distant recurrence has so far been observed during 18 months of follow-up.