Metastatic breast carcinoma presenting as perforated appendicitis

Abstract

Background: Patients presenting with symptoms from unknown metastatic breast carcinoma are becoming increasingly uncommon. Perforated appendicitis from metastatic breast carcinoma is a rare entity with only a few published reports in the literature. Case Report: The case of a 76-year-old female patient who developed perforated appendicitis from previously unknown metastatic breast cancer is presented. During physical examination in the emergency department, a large left breast mass was palpated. The patient underwent an appendectomy and had no gross evidence of disease elsewhere in the intraperitoneal cavity. Subsequent pathologic examination of the appendix revealed a lobular carcinoma. Conclusions: The factors that influence the site of metastasis from breast cancer include estrogen receptor status and the subtype of carcinoma - ductal versus lobular. © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.