Abstract
It is well known that bone metastases frequently occur in the vertebra, pelvis, femur and rib, but those to the peripheral bones of the hand and foot are extremely rare.
The patient, a 57-year-old woman, suffered a painful tumor with ulceration in the left thumb after surgery for esophageal carcinoma. X-ray examinations showed a localized osteolytic picture in the left distal phalanx of the thumb, together with apparent bone metastases to the thoracic vertebrae, skull and ribs. This case was therefore diagnosed as metastasis to the distal phalanx of the thumb from the esophageal carcinoma primary.
Since peripheral bone metastases, which may occur in the advanced stage of malignancies, have a fairly poor prognosis, treatment is usually mainly palliative. However, symptomatic and supportive treatment such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy are also available, and amputation of the affected part may be helpful for relief of the pain, depending on the case.
