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Case Series
Diagnostic difficulties of breast sarcomas at the Thiès Regional Hospital Center
1 Gynecology Department, Thiès Regional Hospital Center (CHRT), Thiès, Senegal
2 Health Sciences Training and Research Unit, Thiès, Senegal
3 Gaston Berger University, Saint-Louis, Senegal
4 Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
5 Gynecology Department, Tivaouane Hospital Center, Thiès, Senegal
Address correspondence to:
Lamine Gueye
Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Thiès Regional Hospital, 1 Avenue Malick SY, PO Box: 34, Thiès,
Senegal
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Article ID: 101524Z01GL2025
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How to cite this article
Gueye L, Thiam O, Gassama O, Bentefouet TL, Sarr AA, Alissoutin AP, Ba PA, Thiam M, Cisse ML. Diagnostic difficulties of breast sarcomas at the Thiès Regional Hospital Center. Int J Case Rep Images 2025;16(2):63–68.ABSTRACT
Introduction: Breast sarcomas are exceptionally rare, accounting for less than 1% of malignant breast tumors. Clinically, they typically present as unilateral breast masses that often grow more rapidly than epithelial breast carcinomas. Surgical excision remains the cornerstone of management. Prognosis depends primarily on histologic grade and the status of surgical margins, which are the main predictors of local recurrence.
Case Series: We report four cases of primary breast sarcomas treated in the Gynecology–Obstetrics Department of the Regional Hospital of Thiès. The mean age at diagnosis was 37.7 years. All patients presented with a large unilateral breast mass measuring between 4 and 32 cm, with rapid enlargement; two exhibited cutaneous fistulization. The three patients had undergone two biopsies due to the discrepancy between the clinical and histological results. Immunohistochemistry, which is very crucial for diagnosis, could not be performed due to lack of financial resources. All four underwent mastectomy with axillary lymph node clearance, with histologically negative margins. One patient experienced local recurrence following a palliative mastectomy performed on an ulcerated-necrotic breast. Adjuvant radiotherapy was recommended for three patients; one received it. One patient with metastatic condition received adjuvant chemotherapy. The 3 patients diagnosed at T4N1M pulmonary stage died with an average overall survival of 10.6.
Conclusion: Primary breast sarcomas are diagnostically challenging, and any delay worsens prognosis. In our setting, mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection represents the gold-standard treatment, especially in locally advanced or metastatic cases.
Keywords: Mortality, Recurrence, Sarcoma
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Author Contributions
Lamine Gueye - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis of data, Interpretation of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Thiam O - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Gassama O - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Bentefouet TL - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Sarr AA - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Alissoutin AP - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Ba PA - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Thiam M - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Interpretation of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Cisse ML - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Interpretation of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Guarantor of SubmissionThe corresponding author is the guarantor of submission.
Source of SupportNone
Consent StatementWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this article.
Data AvailabilityAll relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.
Conflict of InterestAuthors declare no conflict of interest.
Copyright© 2025 Gueye L et al. This article is distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original author(s) and original publisher are properly credited. Please see the copyright policy on the journal website for more information.
