Abstract
Introduction
The symptoms and findings of ovarian cancer are parallel with the degree of intra-abdominal expansion of the tumor. Metastases in the early stage occur by peritoneal fluid’s tracking via the circulatory system. Renal and cerebral metastases of ovarian cancer have been previously reported, but axillary lymph node metastasis is quite rare. Axillary lymph node metastasis usually occurs in the advanced stage.
Materials and methods
We present a 47-year-old female who had applied adjuvant chemotherapy following cyto-reductive surgery because of stage 3C ovarian cancer. Axillary lymph node metastasis was detected in the postoperative 32 months.
Conclusion
As tumors in axillary lymph nodes are found in patients with an ovarian carcinoma, the treatment is also so important too. Metastasis to the breast be differentiated accurately from primary breast cancer, because prognosis and treatment differ significantly. Accurate diagnosis of these metastases may allow more appropriate theraphy such as chemotherapy and prevent the patient from an unnecessary major breast surgery.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cormio G, Rossi C, Cazzolla A, Resta L, Loverro G, Greco P (2003) Distant metastases in ovarian carcinoma. Int J Gynecol Cancer 13:125–129
Zang RY, Zhang ZY, Cai SM, Tang MQ, Chen J, Li ZT (2000) Epithelial ovarian cancer presenting initially with extraabdominal or intrahepatic metastases: a preliminary report of 25 cases and literature review. Am J Clin Oncol 23:416–419
Euscher ED, Silva EG, Deavers MT, Elishaev E, Gershenson DM, Malpica A (2004) Serous carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum presenting as lymphadenopathy. Am J Surg Pathol 28:1217–1223
Orris BG, Geisler JP, Geisler HE (1999) Ovarian carcinoma metastatic to bilateral axillary lymph nodes. A case report. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol 20:189–190
Kamura T, Jeon JD (2002) Lymph node metastasis in a gynecologic malignancy. Yonsei Med J 43:783–791
Takeshima N, Hirai Y, Umayahara K, Fujiwara K, Takizawa K, Hasumi K (2005) Lymph node metastasis in ovarian cancer: difference between serous and non-serous primary tumors. Gynecol Oncol 99:427–431
Chen SS, Lee L (1983) Incidence of para-aortic and pelvic lymph node metastases in epithelial carcinoma of the ovary. Gynecol Oncol 16:95–100
Dauplat J, Hacker NF, Nieberg RK, Berek JS, Rose TP, Sagae S (1987) Distant metastases in epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Cancer 60:1561–1566
Dvoretsky PM, Richards KA, Angel C, Rabinowitz L, Stoler MH, Beecham JB et al (1988) Survival time, causes of death, and tumor/treatment-related morbidity in 100 women with ovarian cancer. Hum Pathol 19:1273–1279
Recine MA, Deavers MT, Middleton LP, Silva EG, Malpica A. (2004) Serous carcinoma of the ovary and peritoneum with metastases to the breast and axillary lymph nodes: a potential pitfall. Am J Surg Pathol 28:1646–1651
Raptis S, Kanbour AI, Dusenbery D, Kanbour-Shakir A (1996) A Fine-needle aspiration cytology of metastatic ovarian carcinoma to the breast. Diagn Cytopathol 15:1–6
Rose PG, Piver MS, Tsukada Y, Lau TS (1989) Metastatic patterns in histologic variants of ovarian cancer An autopsy study. Cancer 64:1508–1513
Euscher ED, Silva EG, Deavers MT, Elishaev E, Gershenson DM, Malpica A (2004) Serous carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum presenting as lymphadenopathy. Am J Surg Pathol 28:1217–1223
Hockstein S, Keh P, Lurain JR, Fishman DA (1997) Ovarian carcinoma initially presenting as metastatic axillary lymphadenopathy. Gynecol Oncol 65:543–547
Gökaslan H, Yörük P, Pekin T, Kavak Z, Eren F (2005) Bilateral metastatic breast cancer as the first manifestation of ovarian cancer: case report. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol 26:336–338
Singer C, Blankstein E, Koenigsberg T, Mercado C, Pile-Spellman E, Smith SJ (2001) Mammographic appearance of axillary lymph node calcification in patients with metastatic ovarian carcinoma. Am J Roentgenol 176:1437–1440
Patel SV, Spencer JA, Wilkinson N, Perren TJ (1999) Supradiaphragmatic manifestations of papillary serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary. Clin Radiol 54:748–754
Monteagudo C, Merino MJ, LaPorte N, Neumann RD (1991) Value of gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 in distinguishing metastatic breast carcinomas among poorly differentiated neoplasms involving the ovary. Hum Pathol 22:368–372
Wick MR, Lillemoe TJ, Copland GT, Swanson PE, Manivel JC, Kiang DT (1989) Gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 as a marker for breast cancer: immunohistochemical analysis of 690 human neoplasms and comparison with alpha-lactalbumin. Hum Pathol 20:281–287
Al-Hussaini M, Stockman A, Foster H, McCluggage WG (2004) WT-1 assists in distinguishing ovarian from uterine serous carcinoma and in distinguishing between serous and endometrioid ovarian carcinomas. Histopathology 44:109–115
Ozsaran AA, Dikmen Y, Terek MC, Ulukus M, Ozdemir N, Orgüc S, Erhan Y (2000) Bilateral metastatic carcinoma of the breast from primary ovarian cancer. Arch Gynecol Obstet 264:166–167
Benedetti Panici P, Perniola G, Angioli R, Zullo MA, Manci N, Palaia I et al (2007) Bulky lymph node resection in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer: impact of surgery. Int J Gynecol Cancer 17:1245–1251
Uzan C, Morice P, Rey A, Pautier P, Camatte S, Lhommé C et al (2004) Outcomes after combined therapy including surgical resection in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer recurrence(s) exclusively in lymph nodes. Ann Surg Oncol 11:658–664
Blanchard P, Plantade A, Pagès C, Afchain P, Louvet C, Tournigand C et al (2007) Isolated lymph node relapse of epithelial ovarian carcinoma: outcomes and prognostic factors. Gynecol Oncol 104:41–45
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aydin, Ç., Ünalp, H.R., Baloğlu, A. et al. Axillary lymph node metastasis from serous ovarian cancer: a case report and review of the literature. Arch Gynecol Obstet 279, 203–207 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-008-0669-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-008-0669-5