Thoracic manifestations of breast carcinoma

It is an interesting exercise to consider what you should look for in the thorax in a patient with breast carcinoma. There would of coarse be the primary tumour with the breast mass, skin thickening and puckering. There would be manifestations of thoracic metastases like endobronchial metastases, lymphangitis carcinomatosa, pleural effusion and nodules, skeletal metastases and lymph nodes. One should also look for treatment complications like mastectomy, radiation pneumonitis and radiation osteonecrosis.

To read more: Clinical Radiology August 1999