EJMCR |

Case Report

Volume: 6 | Issue: 1 | Published: Jan 14, 2022 | Pages: 17 - 20 | DOI: 10.24911/ejmcr/173-1626632974

Two case reports of umbilical metastasis: the enigmatic Sister Mary Joseph nodule

Authors: Maaike Ramael , Helene Poels , Hilde Van Steelandt , Wim Develter , Marc Ramael

Article Info

Authors

Maaike Ramael

Faculty of Medicine and health sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Helene Poels

Department of Gastroenterology, Heilig Hartziekenhuis, Lier, Belgium

Hilde Van Steelandt

Department of Molecular Imaging, AZ Herentals, Herentals, Belgium

Wim Develter

Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, Heilig Hartziekenhuis, Lier, Belgium

Marc Ramael

Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, Heilig Hartziekenhuis, Lier, Belgium

Publication History

Received: July 21, 2021

Revised: December 02, 2021

Accepted: December 02, 2021

Published: January 14, 2022

Abstract

Background: Umbilical metastasis, also known as Sister Mary Joseph nodule, is a rare pathognomonic clinical sign suggesting the presence of an internal cancer. Case Presentation: We describe two female patients with Sister Mary Joseph nodule. In one case, there was a relapse of cancer. In the other patient, the Sister Mary Joseph nodule was the first and only clinical sign of an abdominal malignancy. We will briefly discuss the association with various internal malignancies as well as the pathogenesis and differential diagnosis. Conclusion: We conclude that Sister Mary Joseph nodule is a sign of intra-abdominal malignancy most frequently associated with gastro-intestinal or gynecological cancer. It can be the first and only clinical sign of abdominal malignancy in an otherwise healthy appearing patient or it can be an indication of oncological progressive disease, tumor relapse. Umbilical lesions should raise suspicion of a Sister Mary Joseph nodule, but a differential diagnosis must be made with other primary umbilical malignancies as well as with benign conditions involving the umbilicus.

Keywords: Sister Mary Joseph nodule, metastasis, umbilicus, gastric signet cell adenocarcinoma, ovarian serous papillary adenocarcinoma, green

Pubmed Style

Maaike Ramael, Helene Poels, Hilde Van Steelandt, Wim Develter, Marc Ramael. Two case reports of umbilical metastasis: the enigmatic Sister Mary Joseph nodule. EJMCR. 2022; 14 (January 2022): 17-20. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1626632974

Web Style

Maaike Ramael, Helene Poels, Hilde Van Steelandt, Wim Develter, Marc Ramael. Two case reports of umbilical metastasis: the enigmatic Sister Mary Joseph nodule. https://ejmcr.com/articles/1082 [Access: December 25, 2024]. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1626632974

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Maaike Ramael, Helene Poels, Hilde Van Steelandt, Wim Develter, Marc Ramael. Two case reports of umbilical metastasis: the enigmatic Sister Mary Joseph nodule. EJMCR. (2022), [cited December 25, 2024]; 14 (January 2022): 17-20. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1626632974

Harvard Style

Maaike Ramael, Helene Poels, Hilde Van Steelandt, Wim Develter, Marc Ramael (2022) Two case reports of umbilical metastasis: the enigmatic Sister Mary Joseph nodule. EJMCR, 14 (January 2022): 17-20. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1626632974

Chicago Style

Maaike Ramael, Helene Poels, Hilde Van Steelandt, Wim Develter, Marc Ramael. "Two case reports of umbilical metastasis: the enigmatic Sister Mary Joseph nodule." 14 (2022), 17-20. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1626632974

MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Maaike Ramael, Helene Poels, Hilde Van Steelandt, Wim Develter, Marc Ramael. "Two case reports of umbilical metastasis: the enigmatic Sister Mary Joseph nodule." 14.January 2022 (2022), 17-20. Print. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1626632974

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Maaike Ramael, Helene Poels, Hilde Van Steelandt, Wim Develter, Marc Ramael (2022) Two case reports of umbilical metastasis: the enigmatic Sister Mary Joseph nodule. , 14 (January 2022), 17-20. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1626632974