Durieux C, Muysoms E, Claeys D
Department of Surgery, AZ Maria Middelares, Gent, Belgium.
Acta Chir Belg. 2008 Jul-Aug;108(4):444-6. doi: 10.1080/00015458.2008.11680259.
An umbilical metastasis is universally referred to as a sister Joseph's nodule if it is caused by extensive intraabdominal neoplastic disease. The presence of an umbilical metastasis usually indicates advanced disease, with poor prognosis. We report on a 64-year old women with a umbilical nodule that was at first not recognised as a metastatic lesion, so the diagnosis and treatment were delayed. Knowledge of this eponym can help to avoid delay in diagnosis by alerting the clinician and prompting investigations with CT scan and a histological examination.
