Synonyms
Cutaneous atypical vascular lesions (AVLs) of the breast have been described using a variety of terms including post-mastectomy lymphangiomatosis, benign lymphangiomatous papules, benign lymphangioendothelioma, acquired lymphangiectasis, and lymphangioma circumscriptum (Baker and Schnitt 2017; Weaver and Billings 2009).
Definition
AVLs are benign vascular proliferations of the skin that occur following radiation therapy for breast cancer within the field of radiation. The term AVL was proposed by Fineberg and Rosen in 1994 to reflect the fact that these lesions were occasionally mistaken for angiosarcoma, and because their relationship to post-irradiation angiosarcomas (PIAS) is not fully understood (Fineberg and Rosen 1994).
Clinical Features
Incidence
AVLs occur in the field of radiation after radiation therapy for breast cancer, with a latency period of 1 month to 20 years, occurring most frequently between 3 and 6 years post-treatment (Ginter et al. 2017).
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References
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Rosen, L.E., Krausz, T. (2018). Atypical Vascular Lesions. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_4741-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_4741-1
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