A Patient With Advanced Gastric Cancer Who Achieved A Long-Term Prognosis By Early Diagnosis Of Sister Mary Joseph'S Nodule

The patient was a 66-year-old woman. An induration of approximately 15 mm in size that accompanied redness was palpable in the umbilical fossa. She did not respond to 1-month antibiotic treatment provided by the previous physician. For this reason, a biopsy of the site was performed with the possibility of neoplastic disease in mind, resulting in the detection of adenocarcinoma. Subsequent detailed whole-body examination revealed advanced gastric cancer and peritoneal dissemination, and the induration in the umbilical fossa was diagnosed as a direct infiltration from the peritoneal dissemination. Metastasis or infiltration of malignant tumor to the umbilicus is called Sister Mary Joseph's nodule (SMJN), and considered as a sign of poor prognosis. However, this case was successfully treated and achieved a longterm prognosis by the early diagnosis of SMJN. In routine clinical practice, it is considered necessary to examine patients carefully, as not to overlook SMJN. (C) 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel