Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Sister Mary Joseph’s Nodule as the Sole Presenting Feature of Disseminated Squamous Cell Cancer of the Esophagus: A Rare Case

  • Published:
Journal of Gastrointestinal Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Umbilical nodule due to tumor metastasis is a rare presentation which is known as Sister Joseph’s nodule. This is usually due to disseminated intra abdominal malignancies which are mostly adenocarcinomas. Esophageal squamous cell cancer commonly presents with progressive dysphagia, and it usually metastasizes to liver, lungs, bones, and regional lymph nodes; however, spreading to the umbilicus is an extremely rare occurrence. In this paper, we report a 77-year-old man presenting with a painful umbilical nodule as the only presenting feature of disseminated, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  1. Spencer PS, Helm TN. Skin metastases in cancer patients. Cutis 1987;39(2):119–21. (Feb).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kew MC. Clinical manifestations and paraneoplastic syndromes in hepatocellular carcinoma. In: Okuda K, Ishak KG, editors. Neoplasms of the liver. Tokyo: Springer; 1978. p. 199–214.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Yusuf MA, Azhar R. Umbilical metastasis from ooesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report. The Internet Journal of Gastroenterology 2004;3:1.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dutta U, Kumar M, Sharma SC, Nagi B. Umbilical metastasis with squamous cell carcinoma of oesophagus. Indian J Gastroenterol 2004;23:156–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Crescentini F, Deutsch F, Sobrado CW, Araújo S. Umbilical mass as the sole presenting symptom of pancreatic cancer: a case report. Rev Hosp Clin Fac Med Sao Paulo 2004;59(4):198–202. doi:10.1590/S0041-87812004000400008(Aug).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Khan AJ, Cook B. Metastatic carcinoma of umbilicus: “Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule”. Cutis 1997;60:297–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Panaro F, Andorno E, Di Domenico S, et al. Sister Joseph’s nodule in a liver transplant recipient: case report and mini-review of literature. World J Surg Oncol 2005;3:4. doi:10.1186/1477-7819-3-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Powell FC, Cooper AJ, Massa MC, Goellner JR, Su WP. Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule: a clinical and histologic study. J Am Acad Dermatol 1984;10:610–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Galvañ GV. Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule (letter). Ann Int Med 1998;128:410.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Steck WD, Helwig EB. Tumours of umbilicus. Cancer 1965;18:907–15. doi:10.1002/1097-0142(196507)18:7<907::AID-CNCR2820180721>3.0.CO;2-U.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dubreuil A, Dompmartin A, Barjot P, Louvet S, Leroy D. Umbilical metastasis or Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule. Int J Dermatol 1998;37:70–3. doi:10.1046/j.1365-4362.1998.00326.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Majmudar B, Wiskind AK, Croft BN, Dudley AG. The Sister (Mary) Joseph nodule: its significance in gynecology. Gynecol Oncol 1991;40:152–9. doi:10.1016/0090-8258(91)90108-H.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Professor Chandu de Silva, professor of pathology for the histopathology report.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MBBS (Colombo), University Professorial Surgical Unit, The National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    N. S. Wijekoon

  2. MBBS (Colombo) MS MD(East Anglia) FRCS(Eng) FRCS(Edin), University Professorial Surgical Unit, The National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    D. N. Samarasekera

  3. 28/1, Ishwari Road, Colombo, 06, Sri Lanka

    D. N. Samarasekera

Authors
  1. N. S. Wijekoon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. N. Samarasekera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. N. Samarasekera.

Additional information

Wijekoon and Samarasekera were involved in the data collection and writing of the manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wijekoon, N.S., Samarasekera, D.N. Sister Mary Joseph’s Nodule as the Sole Presenting Feature of Disseminated Squamous Cell Cancer of the Esophagus: A Rare Case. J Gastrointest Canc 38, 99–101 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-008-9033-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-008-9033-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation