Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jul 14:20:48.
doi: 10.51866/tyk.453. eCollection 2025.

A dark umbilical nodule in a postmenopausal woman: What is your diagnosis?

Nur Hidayah Mohd Fauzi  1 , Nik Ahmad Zuky Nik Lah  2 , Siti Masitah Hamzah  3 , W Fadhlina W Adnan  4 , Adibah Ibrahim  1 , Noorul Balqis Che Ibrahim  5 , Engku Ismail Engku-Husna  6
Affiliations

A dark umbilical nodule in a postmenopausal woman: What is your diagnosis?

Nur Hidayah Mohd Fauzi et al. Malays Fam Physician. .

Abstract

Sister Mary Joseph's nodule is a rare but significant clinical sign that often indicates advanced intraabdominal malignancy. It presents as a palpable umbilical nodule and may be the first indication of an occult primary cancer. In this article, we discuss the case of a 58-year-old postmenopausal woman who presented to a primary care clinic with a darkened umbilical lesion and progressive abdominal symptoms. She wps ultimately diagnosed with metastatic endometrial carcinoma. This uncommon presentation highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to umbilical lesions in the primary care setting. Recognising this subtle sign in primary care can lead to expedited investigations and timely intervention.

Keywords: Diagnostic imaging; Endometrial neoplasms; Neoplasm metastasis; Primary health care; Umbilical neoplasm.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The umbilicus of a postmenopausal woman showing a well-defined, firm, hyperpigmented nodule measuring approximately 4 cm in diameter.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Touraud JP, Lentz N, Dutronc Y, Mercier E, Sagot P, Lambert D. Umbilical cutaneous metastasis (or Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule) disclosing an ovarian adenocarcinoma]. Gynecol Obstet Fertii. 2000;28(10):719–721. doi: 10.1016/S1297-9589(00)00009-6. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Salemis NS. Umbilical metastasis or Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule as a very early sign of an occult cecal adenocarcinoma. J Gastrointest Cancer. 2007;38(2-4):131–134. doi: 10.1007/s12029-008-9024-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gabriele R, Campagnol M, Borrelli V, Iannone I, Sapienza P, Sterpetti AV. Sister Mary Jospeh’s nodule as metastasis of colorectal cancer. Systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2024;123:110132. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2024.110132. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Majmudar B, Wiskind AK, Croft BN, Dudley AG. The Sister (Mary) Joseph nodule: its significance in gynecology. Gynecol Oncol. 1991;40(2):152–159. doi: 10.1016/0090-8258(91)90108-H. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hugen N, Kanne H, Simmer F, et al. Umbilical metastases: real-world data shows abysmal outcome. Int J Cancer. 2021;149(6):1266–1273. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33684. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources