title: Umbilical metastasis as primary manifestation of cancer: a small series and review of the literature.
abstract: Umbilical metastasis is a rare manifestation of intra-abdominal cancer. It appears either as the first sign of a primary malignancy or as metastatic site of an already diagnosed cancer, representing an ominous prognostic finding. We report three cases of umbilical metastasis as the first sign of an underlying malignancy. Hypotheses about pathophysiology of umbilical metastasis are based on the embryological origin of the umbilicus and its residual communication with systematic, portal and lymphatic circulation.
authors.affiliation: Second Propedeutical, Department of Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Health Sciences, Hippokratio General Hospital , Thessaloniki, Greece .
authors.forename: Kyriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Psarras
authors.affiliation: Second Propedeutical, Department of Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Health Sciences, Hippokratio General Hospital , Thessaloniki, Greece .
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Symeonidis
authors.affiliation: Second Propedeutical, Department of Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Health Sciences, Hippokratio General Hospital , Thessaloniki, Greece .
authors.forename: Minas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baltatzis
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hippokratio General Hospital , Thessaloniki, Greece .
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Notopoulos
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Pathology, Hippokratio General Hospital , Thessaloniki, Greece .
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nikolaidou
keywords: Ovarian cancer; Rectal cancer; Sister mary Joseph’s nodule; Umbilical metastasis; Urinary bladder cancer