Metastatic Malignant Melanoma Mimicking Mammary Mass: A Rare Presentation

Abstract

Breast lump in perimenopausal women is considered a primary malignancy unless proved otherwise. Metastasis to the breast from extramammary sites is rare. Malignant melanoma (MM) is known for its ability to spread to distant sites, which can be both hematogenous and lymphatic. The common sites are skin, lung, liver, brain, etc. However, reports of melanoma metastasizing to the breast are rare. We present a case of 50-year-old female patient, who underwent wide local excision and split skin grafting for MM right leg. She did not undergo any adjuvant therapy and one year later presented to us with a solitary lump occupying the upper inner quadrant of the right breast. The breast lump turned out to be metastatic deposit from MM based on the presence of melanin in cells on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Therefore, breast lump in perimenopausal is not always a primary malignancy, and differential diagnosis should also include metastatic tumors.