[Distal metastases of bronchial cancers. Bone and soft tissue metastases]

Distal metastases are classically situated below the knee or elbow. However, metastases of the extremities: wrist and hand, or ankle and foot, have etiological and histological characteristics. We report one case of bone metastasis and one case of soft tissue metastasis. The distal bone metastases are often solitary. Bronchial cancers represent the most frequent cause of distal metastases (20% of all cases). They are responsible for 50% of distal metastases of the upper limb and more often occurs as a squamous cancer. Their localization may sometimes reveal a bronchial cancer, and so allow curative surgery. The metastases of soft tissue are exceptional. In the literature, only 2 cases of soft tissue metastasis of bronchopulmonary cancer are described. Clinically, it is a painful swelling preserving the under lying bone. The prognosis is always one of bronchial metastasis cancer with an average survival of 3-6 months.