ANGIOSARCOMA ARISING IN A CHRONICALLY LYMPHEDMATOUS LEG

Cutaneous angiosarcoma is a rare aggressive tumour of capillary and ly mphatic endothelial cell origin. It presents as multiple purple and re d papules and nodules on the head and neck or the extremities. We repo rt an 86-year-old woman with angiosarcoma arising on her chronically l ymphoedematous right leg. The lymphoedema, secondary to chronic immobi lity, had developed gradually over 40 years. No other family members h ad lymphoedema. The patient presented with a plaque of friable tumour tissue on the lower right leg and dorsum of the foot, and satellite le sions on the knee and groin which initially appeared to be petechial h aemorrhages, The satellite lesions in the groin grew into tumour nodul es. There was no evidence of a preceding malignancy, nor any operative intervention to the affected limb or abdomen, Histological examinatio n of all tumour specimens revealed moderately to poorly differentiated angiosarcoma. She died within 5 months of the first appearance of the skin nodules.