Clinically Silent Local Recurrence of Breast Cancer Detected in a Mastectomy Scar During DIEP Flap Reconstruction: A...

This case report presents a rare event of clinically silent local breast cancer recurrence detected during delayed breast reconstruction with a DIEP flap in a patient considered to be in complete remission. The recurrence was not detected by preoperative imaging or serum tumor markers but was unexpectedly identified in the excised mastectomy scar during histopathological examination. This case underscores the diagnostic importance of routine histopathological examination of mastectomy scars in patients assessed to be in complete remission and undergoing secondary procedures such as autologous breast reconstruction. This is the first reported case of breast cancer recurrence detected in a mastectomy scar excised during DIEP flap reconstruction, which subsequently required flap elevation and oncologic re-resection. Furthermore, unlike in other published cases, the technically challenging re-resection was performed only 23 days after the initial reconstructive surgery.