Education Primary angiosarcoma of the breast: a case report with a review of the literature

Primary angiosarcoma of the breast is a rare malignant mammary neoplasm. Once regarded as uniformly fatal, it is now recognized as a group of morphologically heterogeneous neoplasms in which histological grade is prognostically significant. This report describes a new case of primary angiosarcoma of the breast, and reviews the literature with regards to its diagnosis and management. In the reporting of angiosarcoma of the breast, the location of the tumour, whether in the skin or the breast proper, should be specified. Histological grading is important as it carries significance regarding the prognosis and any possible further therapy. The clinical context should be appreciated, and we should be aware that non-malignant vascular lesions can also occur in an irradiated breast. The procedure of choice in primary breast angiosarcoma is simple mastectomy without lymphadenectomy but also, in tumours of higher grade, adjuvant chemotherapy may be indicated.