Woody hands in a patient with pancreatic carcinoma: a variant of cancer-associated fasciitis--panniculitis syndrome

Abstract

We report an elderly woman with rapidly progressive painless, woody induration of the hands. Mild diabetes mellitus was demonstrated. Skin biopsy features included broad fibrous bands extending deeply into subcutaneous fat, a mild mononuclear cell infiltrate, and post-thrombotic recanalization of a deep vessel in one specimen. The patient developed uncontrolled haematemesis and was demonstrated at laparotomy to have disseminated pancreatic carcinoma. The unusual clinical features and temporal relationship between the skin changes and the tumour suggest a paraneoplastic eruption. Which appears best classified as an example of cancer-associated fasciitis-panniculitis syndrome.