Cutaneous metastases from non-small cell lung cancer

Cutaneous metastases are an uncommon phenomenon that occurs in a few patients with metastatic disease. Early recognition of a cutaneous metastasis is important as it may be the presenting sign of an underlying malignancy. These metastases usually indicate advanced disease and carry a poor prognosis.

We present two cases with cutaneous metastasis from primary non-small cell lung cancer. We seek to familiarize dermatologists with the unusual presentations of cutaneous metastases.

In our two cases, the diagnosis of the metastatic cutaneous lesion ultimately led to the correct diagnosis of an underlying malignancy.