Submental lymph node metastasis from invasive ductal breast carcinoma

Sammy Al-Benna, Elias Tzakas

This case report presents a 52-year-old woman with a submental swelling which arose 3 years after wide local excision and axillary lymphadenectomy for breast carcinoma. Histopathological examination after excision biopsy of this lesion confirmed the presence of invasive breast carcinoma in a submental lymph node. Computed tomography of the head, neck, thorax, abdomen and pelvis demonstrated multiple brain and pulmonary metastases. Further management was palliative and the patient died 5 months later. This is the first description of a breast carcinoma metastasising to the submental region. Metastatic breast carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of head and neck lymphadenopathy in patients with previously diagnosed breast carcinoma.