Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 6, 2025
A Revised Method for Inducing Secondary Lymphedema in the Hindlimb of Mice
Published on: November 2, 2019
Angiosarcoma secondary to postirradiation and chronic lymphedema: Case reports
Jin A Yoon1, Myung Jun Shin1, Yong Beom Shin1
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Introduction:
Angiosarcoma secondary to post-irradiation and lymphedema is rare, but it is aggressive with a poor prognosis. It is essential to understand these patients' clinical features and distinguish them from benign diseases or other malignant tumors.
Patient Concerns:
Three patients who had radiotherapy for cancer treatment and chronic lymphedema admitted to the hospital with specific skin lesions at upper or lower extremities.
Diagnosis:
Excisional biopsies revealed prominent, highly atypical cells with a vasoformative area, composed of atypical, large epithelioid cells with vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and mitoses. Immunohistochemistry revealed diffuse expression of endothelial cell markers suggestive of angiosarcoma.
Interventions:
One patient had shoulder disarticulation with wide excision with adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy and other 2 discontinued the treatment.
Outcomes:
After the treatment, one patient was transferred to rehabilitation department for shoulder disarticulation prosthesis fitting without recurrence sign for 1 year. Two patient refused further treatment and was lost to follow-up.
Conclusion:
In cases of patients with irratiation and chronic lymphedema, clinical findings suggestive of angiosarcoma, biopsy and imaging studies should be performed as soon as possible.
