Sarcoidosis mimicking breast cancer: a staging challenge

ABSTRACT

Sarcoidosis is often an asymptomatic condition. Most patient are unaware of their diagnostic. It has specific pathological characteristics at microscopic evaluation; however, in imaging tests it can mimic other conditions. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Staging breast cancer patients with sarcoidosis can be challenging as the differential diagnosis between sarcoidosis lesions and metastasis can be difficult by radiologic evaluations. Here we describe the conduction of such a case highlighting the importance of the clinical evaluation and the utility of complementary imaging tests and tissue evaluation in this setting.

RESUMO

A sarcoidose é uma condição frequentemente assintomática. A maioria dos pacientes desconhecem seu diagnóstico. Possui características patológicas específicas na avaliação microscópica, mas em testes de imagem pode imitar outras condições. O câncer de mama é o câncer mais comum entre as mulheres. O estadiamento de pacientes com câncer de mama com sarcoidose pode ser desafiador, pois o diagnóstico diferencial entre lesões de sarcoidose e metástase pode ser difícil por avaliações radiológicas. Aqui, descrevemos a condução de um caso desse tipo, destacando a importância da avaliação clínica e a utilidade dos exames complementares de imagem e avaliação tecidual nesse cenário.

Keywords:

Breast neoplasms - Sarcoidosis - Positron-emission tomography - Neoplasm metastasis

Descritores:

Neoplasias da mama - Sarcoidose - Tomografia por emissão de pósitrons - Metástase de neoplasia

AUTHOR'S CONTRIBUTION

Antonio Augusto Claudio Pereira: Collection and assembly of data, Conception and design, Data analysis and interpretation, Final approval of manuscript, Manuscript writing, Provision of study materials or patient.

Rebecca Dias Zaia: Collection and assembly of data, Conception and design, Data analysis and interpretation, Final approval of manuscript, Manuscript writing, Provision of study materials or patient.

Denise Oishi: Final approval of manuscript, Provision of study materials or patient

Maria Regina Vianna: Data analysis and interpretation, Final approval of manuscript, Provision of study materials or patient.

Flávio Pimentel: Final approval of manuscript, Provision of study materials or patient

Felipe Ades: Collection and assembly of data, Conception and design, Data analysis and interpretation, Final approval of manuscript, Manuscript writing, Provision of study materials or patient

Publication History

Received: 25 September 2019

Accepted: 11 May 2020

Article published online:
02 July 2020

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