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©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 14, 2008; 14(6): 951-953
Published online Feb 14, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.951
Published online Feb 14, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.951
Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule as the first sign of pregnancy-associated gastric cancer: A case report
Sara Fill, Andrei Taran, Bobbie Smith, Serban-Dan Costa, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Medical Faculty of Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
Hans-Ulrich Schulz, General Surgery Department, Medical Faculty of Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany
Stefan Kahl, Gastroenterology Department, Medical Faculty of Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
Thomas Kalinski, Pathology Department, Medical Faculty of Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
Correspondence to: Professor Serban-Dan Costa, MD, PhD, Director, Women's Clinic Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Gerhart-Hauptmann-Strasse 35, D-39108 Magdeburg, Germany. serban-dan.costa@med.ovgu.de
Telephone: +49-391-6717310
Fax: +49-391-6717311
Received: February 15, 2007
Revised: November 22, 2007
Published online: February 14, 2008
Revised: November 22, 2007
Published online: February 14, 2008
Abstract
Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule is an inconspicuous and uncommon clinical sign of advanced malignant disease, especially gastric cancer. Pregnancy-associated gastric cancer is an extremely rare condition and can be difficult to diagnose, due to the absence or misinterpretation of symptoms as pregnancy-related. Diagnostic aids, such as a basic chemistry panel and imaging techniques, may not show any abnormalities. We present a case of a 37-year-old pregnant patient whose umbilical nodule was the first presenting physical sign of gastric cancer, which had metastasized throughout the abdominal and pelvic regions.
Keywords: Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule, Gastric cancer, Pregnancy-associated gastric cancer, Umbilical nodule, Metastases in pregnancy