title: A rare case of multiple skin metastases from squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Esophageal cancer is an aggressive disease that generally has a poor prognosis. Patients affected by the disease usually present with signs and symptoms related to local growth of the tumor, gastrointestinal bleeding and nutritional impairment. Skin metastases are rare events, associated with advanced stage and poor survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the case of a 51-year-old man who presented poor general status, dysphagia, weight loss and skin lesions disseminated throughout the body. Endoscopic examination revealed the presence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and biopsies of skin lesions showed metastasis of this cancer to the esophagus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that any suspicious lesion that presents together with a history of gastrointestinal malignancy should be biopsied, since it can change the staging and prognosis of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre - Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Ott
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: Uirá Fernandes
authors.initials: UF
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Fábio Luiz
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Weachter
authors.forename: José Artur
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.forename: Roque
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Furian
keywords: esophageal cancer; skin metastases