Erysipelas of the upper extremity: About 25 cases of breast cancer with loco regional therapy

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of erysipelas of the upper extremity in women treated for breast cancer. Methods: A study of 7-years retro-prospective study identifying 25 cases of erysipelas of the upper extremity following treatment for breast cancer; was carried out between March 2010 and December 2017 at the Hassan II hospital Fes, Morroco, we describe the clinical, therapeutic, and evolutionary aspects. Results: The mean age was of 48, 17 years. All patients had a breast surgery and lymphadenectomy. The erysipelas appeared with an average of 5.23 years after cancer treatment and was recurrent in seven cases. Lymphedema occurred in eighteen patients. The clinical aspect was an inflammatory plaque. The portal of entry was found in 73.91% of patients. The upper limb was affected in all cases. Involvement of the axillary folds or the chest was observed in 30.43%. Treatment with amoxicillin associated with clavulanic acid was undertaken for all patients. Conclusion: Lymphadenectomy and radiotherapy in breast cancer may lead to lymphedema, which can be evident or sometimes discrete. Those patients who developed erysipelas in our series usually fared well with treatment, but many had recurrences attributed to persistent lymphedema.