Tumour-to-tumour metastasis: male breast carcinoma metastasis arising in an extrapleural solitary fibrous tumour – a case report

BACKGROUND: Tumour-to-tumour metastasis (TTM) occurs when one tumour metastasises to a separate tumour within the same individual. TTM is observed frequently in breast cancer but has not been described in male breast cancer. In addition reports describing solitary fibrous tumours (SFT) of the pleura hosting other neoplasms’ metastases are limited. We report an exceptional case of male breast cancer metastasising to an extrapleural SFT, occurring in the subcutaneous tissue of the back of a 68-year old Caucasian patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 68-year old male was diagnosed with a metastasising ductal breast cancer. He was treated by mastectomy of the right breast and axillary lymph-adenectomy. Further staging revealed an increasing subcutaneous expansion located on the patient’s back. Excision biopsy confirmed a SFT hosting a breast cancer metastasis. The patient received palliative chemotherapy but died of disease seven years after initial diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The abundance of blood vessels within these lesions might predispose SFTs for an involvement in TTM. This case describes the possibility of concurrent rare occurrences and reminds clinicians, as well as pathologists, to be open-minded and fastidious about their differential diagnoses, sampling and examination of histological specimens. VIRTUAL SLIDES: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/13000_2014_203