Carcinoma erysipeloides secondary to male breast cancer in a patient with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations: a clinical presentation and management

We report a rare case of carcinoma erysipeloides (CE) in a man in his 80s. The patient exhibited a 15 year history of progressive nodularity over the right areola, accompanied by violaceous erythema extending from the right chest to both the right and left abdomen. The diagnostic workup confirmed invasive ductal carcinoma beneath the areola, intralymphatic carcinoma consistent with CE involving the regional skin and metastatic involvement of a single lymph node. The tumour tested positive for oestrogen and progesterone receptors but negative for HER2; genetic testing revealed the patient harboured germline mutations for BRCA1 and BRCA2. Oncology initiated anastrozole and palbociclib treatment, resulting in objective improvement in his breast cancer and his CE. This case highlights a unique presentation of male breast cancer with CE in the context of BRCA mutations and underscores the importance of genetic evaluation and tailored treatment in men with familial breast cancer syndromes.