Small bowel tumour presenting as Sister Joseph's nodule

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Umbilical metastasis, or Sister Joseph's nodule, typically originates from intra-abdominal malignancies.
• Small bowel adenocarcinoma is a rare cause of secondary umbilical carcinoma.

Observation:

• A case of secondary umbilical carcinoma was identified with no apparent primary source initially.
• During laparotomy, a stenosing adenocarcinoma of the ileum was discovered and resected.

Findings:

• This case represents a rare instance of Sister Joseph's nodule associated with small bowel adenocarcinoma.
• The study highlights the importance of considering small bowel pathology in the differential diagnosis of umbilical masses.

Implications:

• This finding expands the known spectrum of gastrointestinal malignancies that can present as Sister Joseph's nodules.
• Further investigation into the incidence and mechanisms of small bowel cancer metastasis to the umbilicus is warranted.