2018 Volume 32 Issue 3 Pages 295-301
A retrospective study assessing the clinical and pathological characteristics of 48 cases of metastatic skin tumors, including 4 cases with Sister Mary Joseph nodules (SMJNs), was performed on patients who visited our hospital over the last 17 years. Among the 48 cases studied, the pancreas (5 cases) was the second frequent primary site after the lungs (11 cases). In addition, 3 of the 5 metastatic pancreatic cancer cases presented clinical manifestations of SMJNs. In the present study, 3 (6.3%) of the 48 cases showed skin involvement as an initial clinical sign of visceral cancer, whereas 2 (50%) of 4 cases showed initial clinical signs of pancreatic cancer. Since there are few reported cases of SMJNs manifestations, its incidence rate is not rare compared with that of other visceral origins if the body’s surface area is considered. However, detecting SMJNs may play an important clinical role in recognizing the presence of silent visceral cancers including those of pancreatic origin.[Skin Cancer (Japan) 2017 ; 32 : 295-301]
