Sister Joseph’s nodule is used to describe a firm, indurated umbilical
nodule that is usually associated with advanced metastasizing intraabdominal
cancer. Sister Mary Joseph (1856 –1939), a head nurse and surgical assistant
to Dr. William Mayo (the forerunner of Mayo Clinic) first identified this
clinical sign which now bears her name.
Umbilical nodules may be
benign or malignant, about 43% being malignant. The majority of malignant
nodules are due to metastases (83%). Primary malignant umbilical tumours
are rare.
Histology of the
umbilical metastatic nodule is usually adenocarcinoma. Common primary sites
include stomach(25%),ovary(12%),colorectal (10%) and pancreas(7%).
The spread of metastatic
cancer to the umbilicus has been postulated to occur by a variety of means:
a) direct spread of
peritoneal cancer
b) hematogenous spread
due to persistence of paraumblical veins
c)l ymphatic spread due
to rich lymphatics in the paraumblical region
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