Postirradiation morphea of the breast presentation of two cases and reviewof the literature

The advent of radiation therapy as a common modality in the treatment and p alliation of breast cancer has led to the observation of morphea developing months to years after supervoltage radiation therapy, in and around the si te of treatment. We report 2 new cases of morphea at the site of previous s upervoltage radiation therapy for breast cancer. The time period between ir radiation and onset of morphea in our 2 patients were an atypically long 6. 5 years and 32 years, the latter being the longest reported such interval. With conservative treatment, the inflammatory component of the lesions reso lved over an approximately 1-year period, leaving residual sclerosis. These patients are compared to those previously reported in the medical literatu re so as to summarize the range of clinical presentation and course. Recogn ition of postirradiation morphea is important in distinguishing it from inf ectious cellulitis, recurrent carcinoma, metastatic carcinoma or developmen t of a second primary carcinoma. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.