Open Access’Carcinoma en cuirasse' in the neck: extremely unusual initial presentation of gastric cancer
Author(s) -
Madhu Rajeshwari,
Pirabu Sakthivel,
Kapil Sikka,
Deepali Jain
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr-2018-228418
Subject(s) - medicine , malignancy , occult , cancer , metastasis , pathology , presentation (obstetrics) , carcinoma , dermatology , radiology , alternative medicine
Cutaneous metastasis from visceral malignancy is a relatively rare phenomenon. It is even rarer to have cutaneous lesions as the first mode of clinical presentation in such malignancies. The lesions are usually nodular, although they can have varied appearances. Common sites of primaries include breast, lung, colorectum, kidney, ovary, and headandneck. We report an unusual form of cutaneous metastasis in the neck, known as 'carcinoma en cuirasse', in an elderly man that subsequently led to the diagnosis of an occult gastric cancer. Our case highlights the importance of recognising cutaneous metastatic lesions early, as they may herald the diagnosis of an occult internal malignancy.