Cutaneous Manifestation as Initial Presentation of Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review

Metastatic breast cancer initially may present with cutaneous lesions. The goal of this systematic review was to evaluate available reports where the initial discovery of primary breast cancer occurred through the diagnosis of metastatic cutaneous lesions. We aimed to better understand these cases and the role of dermatologists in their diagnosis. A review of the literature for case reports and retrospective studies was conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, CINAHL, and EBSCO. The PRISMA guidelines were utilized. Studies were included if they reported a cutaneous metastasis of a primary breast cancer in females. Studies were excluded if skin metastasis occurred in a patient with a history of breast cancer. Thirty-six publications were identified. Among these, 27 were case reports, and 9 were retrospective reviews. An enhanced understanding of how these cutaneous metastases present may be of clinical benefit to physicians, particularly dermatologists.