Unexpected metastatic lobular carcinoma of the breast with intraabdominal spread and subsequent port-site metastasis after diagnostic laparoscopy for exclusion of ovarian cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Although lobular carcinomas metastasize primarily to lymph nodes, bone, lung and liver, they can also spread to the gastrointestinal tract, peritoneum and gynecologic organs. CASE REPORT: We report a case of intraperitoneal carcinomatosis of a lobular breast carcinoma that metastasized primarily to the peritoneum, with a subsequent abdominal wall invasion at the trocar site following laparoscopic surgery for the exclusion of an ovarian carcinoma. DISCUSSION: Port-site metastases (PSM) have occurred after laparoscopic surgery for endometrial, fallopian tube, ovarian, and cervical cancers. This is the first report of PSM of a lobular breast carcinoma primarily metastasized to the abdominal cavity. Every surgeon should be aware of the metastatic pattern of breast cancer, especially in relation to its histological subtypes. This case report emphasizes that PSM can occur in various kinds of gynecologic tumors, including breast cancer.