Detection of Metastatic Breast Carcinoma Cells in a Bone Marrow Sample by Flow Cytometry: Case Report
January 2020
in “
Mastology
”
TLDR Flow cytometry was effective in diagnosing metastatic breast cancer in a bone marrow sample.
In a case report from 2020, a 28-year-old woman with a complex medical history including postpartum depression, mastitis, and various symptoms such as lumbar pain, epistaxis, hair loss, and weight loss was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer using flow cytometry (FC) on a bone marrow sample. The bone marrow biopsy was analyzed using FC immunophenotyping with a range of antibodies, and the presence of non-hematological cells positive for the antibody anti-HER2 suggested an epithelial neoplasm. Further immunohistochemistry confirmed the immunophenotype of metastatic breast disease. A subsequent clinical detection of a nodule in the right breast confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic breast carcinoma. The study concluded that FC is a valuable clinical tool for the diagnosis of solid tumors, offering speed and broad diagnostic capabilities.
