Exsanguinating Hemorrhage during Open Biopsy in a Primary Breast Angiosarcoma: A Case Report

Introduction: Angiosarcomas are endothelial cell neoplasms in the lining of the blood vessel wall and account for about 0.04% of all breast malignancies with a high rate of error in primary diagnosis. The breast angiosarcoma is a rare and uncommon pathology and has been described mostly as case reports. Indeed, only a limited number of cases have been published. Accordingly, the natural history of this tumor and its clinical course remain unclear, and as a consequence, no uniform treatment strategy exists. Methods: We present the clinical course and challenges in the diagnosis of a primary angiosarcoma of the breast in a young woman, presenting with a mass in her left breast. Fine-needle aspiration and core needle biopsy failed to confer a correct diagnosis. She suffered severe bleeding at the time of open biopsy and underwent total mastectomy, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: Young women with solid breast tumors, especially those that are highly vascularshould be considered malignant until proven otherwise. Incisional biopsy might be necessary but difficult, so probable dangers must be taken into account.Conclusion: Open biopsy can be diagnostic in solid breast tumors, although exsanguinating bleeding may occur. Thus, performing open biopsy in locations other than equipped operating rooms may be hazardous and should be avoided.

Keywords:

breast cancer , angiosarcoma , haemorrhage , case report