Sister Mary-Joseph nodule: the tip of the iceberg

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Laura Wislet, Henri Thonon Published in the journal : May 2021 Category : Image

Summary :

An umbilical lesion must be taken seriously by the practitioner, since it represents a neoplasm in two-thirds of cases, while being either a primary cancer or metastatic disease. Sister Marie-Joseph's nodule is a rare umbilical metastatic lesion, occurring in 1 to 3% of abdominopelvic adenocarcinomas. Its discovery should lead to performing an abdominopelvic scanner and skin biopsy. Therapeutic options include surgery or chemotherapy, but most often, management consists of palliative care. As for its oncological history, this nodule is characterized by its late appearance, and it has been associated with a poor prognosis.

What do we know about the topic?

Sister's Marie-Joseph's nodule is a rare lesion, mostly corresponding to an umbilical metastasis of an abdominopelvic adenocarcinoma. Given its late appearance in the oncological history, its prognosis is bleak. The diagnostic investigations include an abdominopelvic scanner and lesion biopsy. Treatment is often palliative, but surgery and chemotherapy can be proposed, as they are associated with better survival rates.

What does this article bring up for us?

Because this lesion is rare, exposing a new case is likely to extend the knowledge of practitioners, while preventing this lesion from being trivialized.

Key Words

Nodule, ombilic, metastasis, adenocarcinoma, Sister Mary-Joseph