Mondor's subcutaneous banding after transaxillary breast augmentation: case report and the review of literature.

UNLABELLED: Mondor's disease is a rare benign condition characterized by the formation of subcutaneous bands or strings in various locations, generally assumed to be symptoms of thrombophlebitis or phlebitis of the subcutaneous veins. Some findings, however, point toward a lymphatic origin of the bands. More biopsies of the cord and histologic studies are necessary to resolve this dispute. The chest, abdominal wall, penis, upper inner arm, and other regions of the body can be affected. The pathophysiology is unclear, but trauma of some kind, such as transsection during surgery or external compression, probably triggers its development. Mondor's thrombophlebitis occurs in 12 % of breast cancer patients. Typically, there is an abrupt onset of tenderness and pain in the affected area a few weeks or months after breast surgery. The disease course is self-limiting, lasting weeks or, on rare occasions, months before spontaneously resolving. Usually, no treatment is necessary, but sometimes a topical nonsteroid antiinflammatory ointment is given. The majority of reports describe thrombophlebitis on the thoracoabdominal wall as a sequela of breast surgery. Mondor's bowstring cord on the upper inner arm after previous transaxillary breast augmentation is rarely reported in the literature and less known. This report is intended to update our knowledge on this possible complication, which may cause unnecessary distress to the patient and the treating physician. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .