BREAST-CARCINOMA PRESENTING AS CHONDROSTERNAL THICKENING - A LONG-STANDING MASQUERADE

The internal mammary lymphatics are the second most common site of reg ional metastasis in breast carcinoma. However, because of their retros ternal location, they rarely become clinically evident. This report de scribes a patient with a parasternal breast carcinoma metastasis arisi ng from internal mammary lymphatics. The metastasis caused symptoms fo r more than 3 years before the primary tumor was discovered. The patho logic elements underlying this unusual presentation along with the tre atment options and the surgical management with extended mastectomy ar e discussed in detail.