Abstract
A 74-year old man developed Bowen’s disease in September 1994. A diagnosis of stomach cancer was established in October 1996. In December of the same year, circinate or oval-shaped, space annular or grain-like erythematous plaques measuring up to 10cm in diameter were observed mainly on the upper extremities and thighs, with slightly palpable infiltration at the margins and scaling on the surface. Histopathologically, lymphocytes infiltrating in perivascular locations were seen in the corium. Fluorescent antibody techniques showed deposits of IgG and C3 on the basal membrane. Individual eruptions disappeared in a few weeks without a gastrectomy for the removal of the malignancy. No relapse has since occurred. The patient was not considered to be able to endure a total gastrectomy because he also had heart failure. Erythema annulare has been reported to be associated with internal malignancy in 17 patients in Japan and in 10 of them, eruptions occurred preceding the onset of malignant tumors. Though the disappearance of eruptions has been believed to depend on the treatment of internal malignant tumors in most patients, the relationship between the treatment of malignant tumors and the disapperance of eruptions was recognized only in 9 patients. From these findings, the disappearance of eruptions does not always seem to correlate with the treatment of internal tumors. Therefore, eruptions should be carefully monitored in such patients.
