Bowel obstruction due to extrinsic compression by metastatic lobular carcinoma of the breast

The commonest sites for breast cancer metastases are the bones, lungs, liver, pleura, adrenals and central nervous system. However, although other sites have been reported, solitary metastases to the gastrointestinal tract are extremely uncommon. Widely disseminated gastrointestinal metastases may be found in up to 20% of patients. Although only 15% of patients with breast cancer will have the lobular variety, these make up the majority of patients with solitary gastrointestinal metastases. Here we present three cases where solitary lobular breast cancer metastases have been demonstrated to be the cause of bowel obstruction. In two cases of duodenal obstruction was demonstrated and in the third colonic obstruction. In all cases a focal extrinsic compression was found.