title: Cutaneous metastasis of signet-ring gastric adenocarcinoma to the breast with unusual clinicopathological features.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cutaneous metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma is rare and usually presents in men, as nodules over the abdomen. We present the case of a woman with cutaneous metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma showing unusual clinicopathological features.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 37-year-old woman developed florid cutaneous metastasis over the skin of the left breast two years after total gastrectomy for a signet-ring adenocarcinoma of the diffuse type. The metastasis presented as a multinodular growth developing over erythematous skin of the left hemithorax. Microscopically, the skin tumor was predominantly made up of spindle-shaped cells, mimicking a mesenchymal/fibrohistiocytic neoplasm. A comparative immunohistochemical study of the gastric primary and the skin tumor showed an almost identical profile (keratin 7/20+; epithelial membrane antigen+, MUC-5AC+), highlighting the gastric adenocarcinoma as the origin of the skin metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although rare, cutaneous metastases of gastric adenocarcinomas can develop in women and may mimic inflammatory metastasis of breast adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry is invaluable in establishing the correct diagnosis.
authors: First Department of Dermatology, Andreas Syngros Hospital, Medical School University of Athens, Greece.
authors: Georgia
authors: G
authors: Avgerinou
authors: Ioannis
authors: I
authors: Flessas
authors: Eftychia
authors: E
authors: Hatziolou
authors: Georgios
authors: G
authors: Zografos
authors: Ilias
authors: I
authors: Nitsios
authors: Flora
authors: F
authors: Zagouri
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Katsambas
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: Kanitakis
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*