Metastatic carcinoma of the ovary presenting as zosteriform lesions

Distant metastases are unusual at presentation and during the course of ovarian carcinoma. Skin metastases may be the first presenting sign of metastatic carcinoma of the ovary. Ovarian epithelial adenocarcinoma rarely metastasizes to the skin, and can be seen in less than 4% of patients. It usually presents as subcutaneous nodules and, less commonly, as inflammatory metastases, which mimic viral or bacterial skin infections. The histology in most of the tumors is serous papillary adenocarcinoma (grade 1 or 2). The prognosis in most patients is poor, thus palliative treatment is usually indicated. We report a patient with widespread skin metastases and review the literature on this rare presentation.