Cancer cellulitis

We have described a case of inflammatory carcinoma involving the skin of the inguinal region in a man with rectal carcinoma. This type of metastatic lesion is most often associated with carcinoma of the breast, but may also be a manifestation of lung, pancreatic, or gastrointestinal neoplasms. The diagnosis should be suspected when a patient with cellulitis is afebrile and has a normal white blood cell count. An additional clue is that the leading edge of the cellulitis may be raised as in erysipelas. Empiric antibiotic treatment is recommended until the diagnosis is confirmed by punch biopsy and the culture results are known.