[Cervical adenocarcinoma with lymphatic spread presenting as carcinoma "en cuirasse"of the vulva: case report]

We report the case of a patient with carcinoma "en cuirasse" of the vulva.

A female patient presented complaining of inguinal lymphadenopathy. Lymph node excision, immunohistochemistry analyses, and further exams showed the presence of cervical adenocarcinoma. The cancer was surgically removed and the patient was treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy with a good initial response. Some months later she presented with intense edema of the lower limbs, hardening and thickening of the labia majora, and pelvic and genital ulceration. A cutaneous biopsy with subsequent immunohistochemical staining showed lymphatic dissemination of adenocarcinoma to the vulva.

Carcinoma "en cuirasse" is a rare presentation of cutaneous metastasis in which the affected skin shows hardening and induration, acquiring a sclerodermoid appearance. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report in Brazil of carcinoma "en cuirasse" of the vulva associated with cervical adenocarcinoma.