Key result
An 83-year-old woman with cutaneous angiosarcoma presented with alopecia and terminated paclitaxel and docetaxol treatment due to lack of response and adverse effects.
Case Report (n=1)
Alopecia can be an uncommon presentation of cutaneous angiosarcoma, with a mixed pattern of focal scarring and follicular miniaturization.
Alopecia with bruising may signal cutaneous angiosarcoma in the elderly; leaves open whether biopsy alters disease trajectory.
An 83-year-old woman presented with a 6-month history of hair loss and painless bruising involving her forehead and scalp. She was otherwise well. Skin biopsy of her scalp confirmed angiosarcoma with a significant increase in miniaturized and telogen hair follicles and some tumour-associated scarring hair loss. She was commenced on the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel and then subsequently the semi-synthetic taxane docetaxol. Treatment was terminated because of lack of response and adverse effects. Alopecia is an uncommon presentation in angiosarcoma and in this case there was a mixed pattern of focal scarring and follicular miniaturization. The latter was present only in areas of tumour involvement and not in a typical pattern distribution for androgenetic alopecia. The direct role of tumour in follicular miniaturization and alopecia is speculated and the implications of this for novel future treatment strategies is discussed.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Murray et al. (2003) conducted a case report in Cutaneous angiosarcoma (n=1). Paclitaxel and docetaxol was evaluated. An 83-year-old woman with cutaneous angiosarcoma presented with alopecia and terminated paclitaxel and docetaxol treatment due to lack of response and adverse effects.