Paraneoplastic skin manifestations of lung cancer

Two cases are reported illustrating a parallel course of extensive skin manifestations and lung cancer. The cases presented features of paraneoplastic acrokeratosis (Bazex's syndrome) and erythema gyratum repens though they did not completely correspond to these well-defined conditions. In both cases the cutaneous eruption appeared more than a year prior to the diagnosis of lung cancer, and the skin disease resolved completely within half a year following surgical removal of the cancer. The need is stressed for repeated cancer screens when a cutaneous marker of internal malignancy is suspected.