Cutaneous manifestations of internal malignancy

Background: Many malignancies affecting the internal organs display cutaneous manifestations which may be either specific (tumor metastases) or nonspecific lesions.

Aims: The study is aimed at determining the frequency and significance of cutaneous manifestations among patients with internal malignancy.

Materials and methods: 750 cases of proven internal malignancy, who attended a cancer chemotherapy center in South India, were studied. Specific infiltrates were confirmed by histopathology, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and marker studies.

Results: Out of the 750 patients with internal malignancy, skin changes were seen in a total of 52 (6.93%) patients.

Conclusion: Cutaneous metastases (specific lesions) were seen in 20 patients (2.66%): contiguous in 6 (0.8%), and non-contiguous in 14 (1.86%). Nonspecific skin changes were seen in 32 patients (4.26%). None of our patients presented with more than one type of skin lesions. Herpes zoster was the most common nonspecific lesion noticed in our patients, followed by generalized pruritus, multiple eruptive seborrheic keratoses, bullous disorder, erythroderma, flushing, purpura, pyoderma gangrenosum, insect bite allergy and lichenoid dermatitis.