title: Cutaneous signs of internal malignancy. A pictorial essay.
abstract: The skin is a window of internal malignancies and other diseases. The cutaneous signs of internal malignancy can be divided into four major groups: (1) hypersensitivity or toxic reactions, (2) infections, (3) metabolic disorders, and (4) tumors. A diagnosis of the many signs of systemic malignancy is made by inspection, history taking, and skin biopsy. Hypersensitivity reactions or nonspecific cutaneous changes in middle-aged or elderly patients should arouse suspicion of internal malignancy. Likewise, sudden onset of a cutaneous tumor in an elderly patient should alert the attentive observer to the possibility of cancer.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000150:complications; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D018366:Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications