Sarcoidosis onset after breast cancer; a potential association

Sarcoidosis Presenting as Late Seroma Mimicking Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma

ABSTRACT

Late seroma related to breast silicone implants is a rare complication. Interest for its characterization has grown after its association with the recently described breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma. The differential diagnosis includes infectious diseases, mechanical and traumatic causes, tumors, postpartum seroma, and inflammatory, allergic, or idiopathic causes.Sarcoidosis has been associated with breast silicone implants over the last decades, but it has never been reported as a cause of breast effusion. We describe a rare presentation of sarcoidosis as a late breast implant seroma simulating the clinical features and radiologic findings of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma and highlight that sarcoidosis can be suspected by the presence of nonnecrotizing epithelioid granulomas in the cytology, with a characteristic inverted ratio of CD4/CD8 T cells.The aims of this article are to review the current evidence about sarcoidosis related to silicone implants and breast cancer, provide a new alternative in the differential diagnosis of late seroma, and advise the scientific community how early implant removal can improve the disease.

Novel three-dimensional biochip pulmonary sarcoidosis model

Sarcoidosis is a multi-system disorder of granulomatous inflammation which most commonly affects the lungs. Its etiology and pathogenesis are not well defined in part due to the lack of reliable modeling. Here, we present the development of an in vitro three-dimensional lung-on-chip biochip designed to mimic granuloma formation. A lung on chip fluidic macrodevice was developed and added to our previously developed a lung-on-membrane model (LOMM). Granulomas were cultured from blood samples of patients with sarcoidosis and then inserted in the air-lung-interface of the microchip to create a three-dimensional biochip pulmonary sarcoidosis model (3D BSGM). Cytokines were measured after 48 hours. ELISA testing was performed to measure cytokine response difference between LOMM with 3D BSGM. There were statistically significant differences in IL-1ß (P = 0.001953), IL-6 (P = 0.001953), GM-CSF (P = 0.001953), and INF-γ expressions (P = 0.09375) between two groups. The current model represents the first 3D biochip sarcoidosis model created by adding a microfluidics system to a dual-chambered lung on membrane model and introducing developed sarcoid-granuloma to its air-lung-interface.

The Clinical Features of Patients with Sarcoidosis and Malignant Diseases in Japan

Objective Recent studies suggest a significant association between sarcoidosis and malignancy, although the results have remained controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical features of patients with sarcoidosis associated with malignant diseases in Japan. Patients We conducted a medical record review of all sarcoidosis patients in Tohoku University Hospital between January 1, 1981, and May 31, 2017. Methods The clinical records and pathology reports for each patient were screened, and the clinical characteristics of malignancies as well as sarcoidosis were reviewed. Results A total of 52 (18.8%) patients with malignancy were identified among 277 patients with sarcoidosis. Among those 52 patients, we identified 62 with malignant diseases. These patients were older and more likely to be women than the remaining 225 (81.2%) sarcoidosis patients without malignancy. The most prevalent malignant disease was breast cancer (14 cases, 22.6%), followed by stomach cancer (8 cases, 12.9%) and lung cancer (7 cases, 11.3%). Among the 14 patients with both sarcoidosis and breast cancer, 8 (57.1%) were diagnosed with breast cancer before sarcoidosis. All of these eight cases had undergone surgical resection of the cancer. Conclusion This study showed a higher incidence of patients with both sarcoidosis and malignancy in Japan than in some western countries. Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignant disease. The high frequency of sarcoidosis after surgical resection of breast cancer may suggest a causative association between malignancy and the development of sarcoidosis.

Breast sarcoidosis: Clinical features, imaging, and histological findings

Breast sarcoidosis is an extremely rare entity (about 1%). Conventional imaging significantly contributes to the detection of breast lesions, but it has been unable to establish a definite diagnosis. Histological examination should be mandatory, over imaging assessments, in order to confirm an early diagnosis and to avoid unjustified treatments. Malignancy should be excluded as a primary differential diagnosis. However, in the presence of granulomas, it is important to recognize other granulomatous disorders such as tuberculosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, or idiopathic granulomatous mastitis, since therapeutic strategies differ. This report clarifies the current clinical assessments and differential diagnosis of breast sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis and breast cancer: A retrospective case series

Background

Sarcoidosis and breast cancer co-incidence is reported in the literature in the form of case reports.

Aim

To describe our experience from a single large sarcoidosis clinic.

Methods

Retrospective chart review of 1000 sarcoidosis cases seen in our clinic from 2003 to 2008.

Results

429/1000 female sarcoidosis cases were identified. Among them 20/429 had a history of sarcoidosis and breast cancer. In 12/20 breast cancer preceded sarcoidosis by 52 months, in 4/20 sarcoidosis preceded breast cancer by 200 months and in 4/20 they presented concurrently. Mean age of sarcoidosis diagnosis was 53.9 (±12.4) years. Majority were of European decent (16/20), 3 were African-Americans and 1 Asian. Scadding radiography stages distribution was (n) 4/11/3/2/0 for stages 0/I/II/III/IV respectively. They had 3.4 (±1.3) organs involved, mainly with intrathoracic involvement. 10/20 were asymptomatic and 11/20 received chronic treatment. Compared to 409 cases of sarcoidosis sine breast cancer (mean age 46.7 ± 13.1), sarcoidosis-breast cancer cases had sarcoidosis diagnosed at a significantly later age (p = 0.01). Histological diagnosis applied in all co-incidence cases, in 5 via mediastinoscopy.

Conclusions

Older females with breast cancer may develop sarcoidosis, with features indistinguishable from stand-alone sarcoidosis. When sarcoidosis is suspected histological diagnosis is mandatory.

Sarcoidosis-like reaction during palbociclib treatment for metastatic breast cancer: A case report

This case report describes a 62-year-old female patient developing a granulomatous sarcoidosis-like reaction in mediastinal lymphatic nodes during a treatment by palbociclib for a metastatic breast carcinoma. After a 3-month treatment associating palbociclib, anastrozole, denosumab, and a single targeted cervical vertebral metastasis radiation therapy, a positron emission tomography showed full regression of breast, vertebral, and axillary node lesion contrasting to new emergent metabolic mediastinal lymph nodes. An endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration revealed a sarcoidosis-like reaction, which dramatically decreased with glucocorticoids.

Concurrent Diagnoses of Cutaneous Sarcoidosis and Recurrent Metastatic Breast Cancer: More than a Coincidental Occurrence?

Sarcoidosis is a rare, chronic, multisystem disease of unknown aetiology, characterised by non-caseating epithelioid cell granulomas. Its association with internal malignancy, in particular haematological cancers has been strongly documented in the literature, while its link with solid organ malignancies is less extensively reported. We present an atypical case of cutaneous sarcoidosis occurring in association with breast cancer recurrence in a 49-year-old female. Physician recognition of this link between sarcoidosis and internal malignancy is vital because many cases of sarcoidosis in association with neoplasia present initially, or even exclusively, with cutaneous sarcoidal lesions that may precede the development of cancer by several years, or as in our case, present as a cutaneous marker of concomitant underlying malignancy. Our case highlights the importance of age-appropriate cancer screening in additional to a routine work-up for systemic sarcoidosis in a patient with cutaneous sarcoidosis.