Scientific article
Case report
OA Policy
English

Gastric signet ring cell carcinoma metastasis from lobular breast cancer : a diagnostic pitfall

Published inCurēus, vol. 16, no. 5, e59919
Publication date2024-05
First online date2024-05-08
Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide. Gastric metastasis from invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast is unusual. We report the case of a 66-year-old woman, under follow-up for an invasive classic lobular carcinoma of the left breast treated four years prior, who was admitted for upper abdominal discomfort and worsening constipation. Linitis plastica was suspected at gastroscopy. Histology of gastric biopsies showed a poorly cohesive carcinoma comprising signet ring cells, with no resemblance to the original breast cancer. An adequate immunochemistry panel, including estrogen receptor and GATA-3, eliminated primary gastric cancer and proved that the gastric lesion was a metastasis of the previously diagnosed invasive lobular breast cancer with additional signet ring cell differentiation, which is classified among its rare variants. This challenging case shows the importance of oncologic medical history and immunochemistry in differentiating between metastasis from invasive lobular breast carcinoma and primary gastric cancer. The distinction is necessary as the prognosis and approaches for treatment are different. When encountering a gastric signet ring cell carcinoma, one must keep in mind that it actually can be a metastasis from one of the several primary sites of origin.

Keywords
  • Diagnostic pitfall
  • Gastric metastasis
  • Invasive lobular carcinoma
  • Primary gastric carcinoma
  • Rare entity
  • Signet-ring cell carcinoma
Citation (ISO format)
KARTOTAROENO, Jessica, BASTID, Caroline, PUPPA, Giacomo. Gastric signet ring cell carcinoma metastasis from lobular breast cancer : a diagnostic pitfall. In: Curēus, 2024, vol. 16, n° 5, p. e59919. doi: 10.7759/cureus.59919
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Article (Published version)
Identifiers
Journal ISSN2168-8184
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182downloads

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Creation11/06/2024 12:29:53
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