A recurrence of ovarian carcinoma presenting as only axillary lymphatic metastasis: A case report

Ovarian carcinoma usually metastasizes to the peritoneal cavity and the regional lymph nodes. While the peritoneal metastases if often widespread, metastases beyond the peritoneal cavity including axillary lymph nodes are uncommon. A recurrence of ovarian carcinoma in only the axillary lymph node is also a rare case. We report here on an axillary lymphatic metastasis as a result of recurrence of ovarian carcinoma in a 43-yr-old woman. Six years after the initial operation for ovarian carcinoma, multiple lymphatic metastases in the right axilla were noted as a palpable axillary masses. There are few previous reports about ovarian carcinoma that metastatized to the axillary lymph nodes. It must be differentiated from breast carcinoma because the treatment and prognosis of metastatic ovarian carcinoma differ from those of primary breast carcinoma.