peau d'orange
Meaning of peau d'orange: Peau d'orange describes dimpled skin from blocked lymphatic drainage, notably in inflammatory breast cancer but also seen in lymphedema.
Definition of peau d'orange
Peau d'orange describes a dimpled appearance of the skin that resembles the surface of an orange peel, caused by swelling and thickening of the skin combined with small areas where the skin remains tethered to underlying tissue at the base of hair follicles and sweat glands. This appearance develops when fluid builds up within the skin because normal lymphatic drainage from that area has been obstructed.
This finding is most closely associated with inflammatory breast cancer, in which cancer cells block the small lymphatic vessels within the skin of the breast, producing a swollen, dimpled, and often reddened appearance that can develop relatively quickly. Peau d'orange is not exclusive to breast cancer, however, and can also be seen in other conditions that obstruct lymphatic drainage, such as lymphedema affecting a limb.
Because this skin change reflects underlying lymphatic obstruction rather than a specific diagnosis on its own, its cause is generally investigated further rather than assumed from its appearance alone.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Examination revealed peau d'orange changes over the affected breast, prompting further evaluation for inflammatory breast cancer.
Good to know
Peau d'orange is a recognized sign of inflammatory breast cancer but is not specific to it, since any condition that blocks lymphatic drainage of the skin, such as lymphedema, can produce a similar appearance.