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Updated: May 16, 2026
09:17
Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Adults: Image Acquisition
Published on: March 3, 2023
[Digital ulcers revealing lung carcinoma].
R Bouchentouf1, A Benjelloun, M A Aitbenasser
1Service de pneumologie, hôpital militaire Avicenne, boulevard La Résistance, 40000 Marrakech, Maroc. bouchentouf_rachid@yahoo.fr
Revue De Pneumologie Clinique
|November 27, 2012
Summary
Digital ulcers can indicate underlying health issues like microangiopathy. In men, digital necrosis may signal paraneoplasia, such as metastatic lung cancer, necessitating further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Oncology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Digital ulcers often stem from focal ischemia caused by microangiopathy.
- Causes vary, suggesting connective tissue disease in women and diffuse arteriopathy in men.
Observation:
- Acral ischemia progressing to necrosis is an uncommon paraneoplastic manifestation.
- This case involves a male patient whose metastatic lung cancer was discovered due to digital ulcers.
Findings:
- The patient presented with digital necrosis, a rare sign of underlying malignancy.
- Metastatic lung cancer was identified as the cause in this specific case.
Implications:
- Digital necrosis, when not caused by iatrogenic factors, occupational diseases, atherosclerosis, or systemic conditions, warrants investigation for hematologic disorders or cancer.
- Early detection of paraneoplastic syndromes like digital ulcers can lead to timely cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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