Skin signs of internal malignancy

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Oncology

Background:

• Nonspecific skin issues such as pruritus, erythemas, and infections can be linked to malignancy.
• Specific dermatologic conditions like acanthosis nigricans, dermatomyositis, and eruptive seborrheic keratoses are frequently associated with internal neoplasms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the association between various dermatologic conditions and internal malignancies.
• To emphasize the importance of recognizing skin manifestations for early cancer detection.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature linking dermatologic findings to internal cancers.
• Analysis of common skin signs associated with visceral malignancies.

Main Results:

• Nonspecific symptoms include pruritus, reactive erythemas, and skin infections.
• Specific syndromes associated with internal neoplasms include acanthosis nigricans, dermatomyositis, eruptive seborrheic keratoses, and hypertrichosis lanuginosa.
• Skin metastases can be the initial presentation of internal cancers, with common primaries including lung, colon, breast, and ovary.

Conclusions:

• Recognizing specific dermatologic lesions can lead to the early diagnosis of internal cancers.
• Early diagnosis through cutaneous manifestations can significantly improve patient prognosis.