Metastatic carcinoma: Palaeopathology and differential diagnosis

A 62 year-old contemporary white female diagnosed with metastatic carcinoma of the breast was examined after skeletonisation. She never received chemical, hormonal or radiation therapy. Because of the confirmed clinical diagnosis, lack of medicinal intervention, and quality of bone preservation, this specimen provides a comparative standard for metastatic carcinoma and differential diagnosis of idiopathic dry bone pathology. We detail gross and radiographic bone response to this disease and differentially diagnose the skeleton against Langerhans cell histiocytosis and multiple myeloma, conditions capable of modifying bone in characteristic patterns that may mimic metastatic carcinoma. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.