Breast Cancer Metastasis Mimicking Osteomyelitis

Abstract

An 80-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer 16 years ago presented with malnutrition, swelling, and paresthesia of the right cheek. Computed tomography revealed diffuse osteosclerosis without lysis and adjacent soft tissue swelling on the right mandible. These radiological findings were more compatible with primary chronic osteomyelitis than metastasis from breast cancer, and biopsy was necessary for diagnosis. This report describes breast cancer metastasis mimicking primary chronic osteomyelitis 16 years after diagnosis and its differential diagnosis in the mandible.

Keywords

• osteomyelitis
• breast cancer metastasis
• mandibula