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Case Reports
. 2023 Jan;9(1):54-57.
doi: 10.1159/000526101. Epub 2022 Aug 29.

Subungual Metastasis from Ovarian Cancer: Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature

Francesco Savoia  1 , Matelda Medri  1 , Gian Domenico Raulli  2 , Cecilia Menna  3 , Davide Melandri  4 , Ignazio Stanganelli  1   5
Affiliations
Case Reports

Subungual Metastasis from Ovarian Cancer: Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature

Francesco Savoia et al. Skin Appendage Disord. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Introduction: Visceral solid cancers can metastasize in almost any organ, including the skin and its appendages.

Case presentation: We report here the case of a 19-year-old Caucasian girl carrying a diagnosis of malignant germ cell tumor of the ovary, with pulmonary and brain metastases, that developed a painful red-violaceous subungual papule of the 4th finger of the left hand, associated with an over-curvature of the nail plate. Dermoscopy was characterized initially by different shades of pink and red, while after few weeks, it showed black pigmentation due to subcorneal hematomas, hemorrhagic crusts, and a rainbow pattern. Histology confirmed a diagnosis of a metastasis from a poorly differentiated carcinoma of ovarian origin.

Discussion and conclusion: A brief review on the diagnosis and treatment of subungual metastases is reported.

Keywords: Acrometastases; Metastasis; Subungual metastasis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
a, b The presence of a red-violaceous subungual papule of the 4th finger of the left hand, associated with an abnormal curvature of the nail plate; dermoscopy was characterized by different shades of pink and red.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
a, b Papule had enlarged to become a bleeding nodule; dermoscopy showed areas of black pigmentation due to subcorneal hematomas, hemorrhagic crusts, and a rainbow pattern.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
a–d Histologic features were consistent with a poorly differentiated carcinoma of ovarian origin (hematoxylin and eosin, magnification ×2.5 and ×10, a, b), with positive CK7 staining (magnification ×10, c) and p63 staining (magnification ×10, d).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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