A Rare Case of Zosteriform Cutaneous Metastasis from Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, after lung cancer. Cutaneous breast cancer metastases often develop as direct involvement and local spread and often manifest as solid painless nodules in the anterior chest wall. Internal malignant skin metastases rarely present like soft nodules, telangiectasia-like lesions, neoplastic alopecia, erysipeloides carcinoma, erythema annulare-like, herpetiformis or zosteriform, target-like, pyodermic and morphea-like lesions. In this article, we present a 49-year-old female patient describing a sensation of burning pain with erythematous papules and plaques in a zosteriform distribution. The diagnosis of zosteriform cutaneous metastases from a breast cancer was made. Majority of these cases may be misdiagnosed as herpes zoster infection and can be treated with antiviral drugs. Therefore, cutaneous metastases should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of lesions in zosteriform distribution