Abdominal metastases of infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma: CT and fluoroscopic imaging findings

Abstract.

Infiltrating lobular carcinoma accounts for only a small fraction of breast carcinomas, with most patients having infiltrating ductal carcinoma. The metastatic patterns of ductal and lobular carcinoma have been shown to be markedly different. Infiltrating lobular carcinoma metastasizes significantly more often to the gastrointestinal tract, pelvic organs, peritoneum/retroperitoneum, and urinary tract than does infiltrating ductal carcinoma. This point has significance for follow-up, the diagnosis of abdominal symptoms, and the therapeutic options for these patients. This article illustrates the broad spectrum of abdominal metastases from lobular breast carcinoma that may be detected with computed tomographic and fluoroscopic examinations, and it describes the role of imaging in the diagnosis of metastatic disease in these patients.