A woman who undergoes radiation therapy for breast cancer may develop a benign vascular proliferation in the irradiated skin. This needs to be distinguished from the more serious angiosarcoma of the breast.
Synonym: atypical vascular lesion of the skin after radiation therapy, benign lymphangiomatous papules after radiation therapy
Clinical features:
(1) Skin lesions appear in the radiation field used to treat breast cancer.
(2) The skin lesions consist of small papules that are well-circumscribed.
Histologic features:
(1) The lesions are in the papillary dermis.
(2) The lesions show dilated or irregularly shaped vascular channels with a lymphangioma or lymphangioendothelioma-like pattern.
(3) The channels are usually lined by a single layer of bland endothelial cells.
(4) Micropapillary tufts may be present.
(5) Lesions may show cytologic and/or architectural atypia.
Exclusions:
(1) cutaneous angiosarcoma
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