TWO CASES OF METASTATIC BREAST CANCER TO THE EYE

Ocular metastasis seldom occurs in patients with breast cancer. If occurred, the most common site is the bulbar choroidal membrane, followed by the orbit. Only 9 cases of orbital metastasis including our case have been seen in the Japanese literature. This paper presents recent experience with 2 cases of ocular metastasis of breast cancer, including one case of orbital metastasis. Case 1 was a 63-year-old women who had undergone standard radical mastectomy for a Stage II breast cancer. Orbital metastasis was diagnosed with right exopthalmos (19 mm) three years after the operation. External beam radiation therapy, dosed 10 MeV a week in totaly 52 Gy, to the right orbit succeeded in disappearance of exopthalmos. She died 13 months after the oribital metastasis occurred. Case 2 was a 40-year-old woman who had undergone bilateral simple mastectomy and oophorectomy for a Stage IV bilateral breast cancer. Fourteen months later, she developed right eye lid swelling for ocular metastasis, after admission for skin, liver and bony metastases. Without specific ocular treatment, she died four months after the ocular metastasis occured. Early diagnosis and treatment is a primary concern to maximize the quality of life in patients with ocular metastasis from breast cancer.