Carcinoma En Cuirasse Presenting as Keloids of the Chest

Abstract

BACKGROUND Carcinoma en cuirasse is a form of metastatic cutaneous breast malignancy occurring most commonly on the chest as a recurrence of breast cancer, but it can be the primary presentation. OBJECTIVE To discuss the clinical features of carcinoma en cuirasse that distinguish it from hypertrophic scars and keloids of the chest. METHOD We report a 63-year-old woman with primary cutaneous breast carcinoma presenting as keloid nodules on the chest that failed treatments for keloids. Biopsy revealed a pattern of breast carcinoma in the skin. RESULTS After further workup, no tumor was found in the deep breast tissue, but metastases were found in her axillary lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS Unusual keloid-like nodules or scars on the chest that fail to respond to therapy may be primary or metastatic malignancies, and adequate histologic verification should be obtained to avoid delay in the proper treatment.