[Clown nose as an initial manifestation of squamous-cell lung carcinoma]

Clown Nose: A Rare Hypopharyngeal Cancer Metastasis

Cutaneous metastases from squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck region are uncommon, and their location at the nasal tip is exceptionally rare. A patient, previously treated with surgery and chemoradiation for a hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, developed several red nodular skin lesions at the nasal tip. Biopsy revealed cutaneous metastasis from the primary tumor. This manifestation was previously described as a "clown nose," given their appearance and location. Skin lesions should raise suspicion of malignancy, despite their location at uncommon places, particularly in patients with previous diagnosed cancer. Clinicians must be aware that metastases from head and neck cancer can present as a "clown nose."

Cutaneous Metastases of Solid Tumors: Demographic, Clinical, and Survival Characteristics

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous metastasis (CM), while uncommon, is usually an indicator of poor prognosis. With cancer patients living longer, the incidence of CM has increased, which justifies its analysis.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to carry out a descriptive study of CM diagnosed for 18 years in a dermatology department of a tertiary care hospital and to assess the epidemiological, clinical, and histological variables that condition them, as well as data on their survival and prognosis.

METHODS

We performed a descriptive study of cases of CM diagnosed over 18 years in the dermatology department of a tertiary referral hospital analyzing the following variables: patient age and sex, site of primary neoplasm, pathochronology, survival time, histological findings, immunohistochemical markers, the anatomical area affected, the clinical appearance of the metastasis, therapeutic plan, and existence of metastases in other regions. We checked normal distribution using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and then compared the quantitative variables using the Student's t-test (unpaired samples), Mann-Whitney test (non-normal distribution), analysis of variance (ANOVA; for more than two groups), and categorical variables using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

We included 37 cases (20 men and 17 women), of whom 32 had died. The mean age was 62 ± 15 years. CM detection was defined early in 8% of cases, synchronous in 32%, and metachronous in 60%. The most frequent primary tumor sites were lungs (24%), breasts (21%), and bladders (11%). Most metastases were solitary. The most frequent locations for CM were the scalp, trunk, armpits, and groin. Most lesions had a nodular presentation (81%). Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma showed the same frequency in lung cancer CM. Breast cancer leading to CM was the most common invasive ductal carcinoma. The most aggressive cases, with the worst survival, originated in lung neoplasms. Therapeutic management for most patients involved surgery in combination with other procedures. The only difference detected between the lung and breast cancer CM was the predominance of lung tumors in men (89%) and breast tumors in women compared with metastases from other sites; breast cancer CM manifested more frequently as plaques and less frequently as nodules (p < 0.05) and was less frequently associated with multisystemic metastasis. In lung cancer CM, time from tumor diagnosis to CM occurrence was shorter (p < 0.01) and multisystemic metastasis was more frequent than in CM of other tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

CM tends to affect patients aged above 60 years and arises predominantly from lung cancer in men and breast cancer in women. The most typical locations are the chest and scalp, and the appearance is usually nodular. Survival after CM detection is low, particularly in lung cancer CM.

Update of Clown Nose-Like Lesion, a Underrecognized Manifestation of Metastatic Malignancies and Genetic Cancer Predisposition Syndromes

Clown nose-like lesion refers to the manifestation of a reddish or skin-colored bulge on the tip of the nose or the manifestation of bulbous tip of the nose. More and more clinical cases show that clown nose-like lesion can also be the indication of some genetic syndromes, not just the manifestation of metastatic visceral tumor as it initially proposed. However, the clinical features of clown nose-like lesion indicated by metastatic malignancies, genetic cancer predisposition syndromes or primary diseases involving the nasal tip are lacking. In this study, patients with clown nose-like lesion in our clinical practices and from published literatures were collected and reviewed. We found that clown nose-like lesions caused by metastatic malignancies including lung cancer are often solitary and more common in male (24/31) older individuals (average age 62.3, ranging 40–78 years old). In addition, they usually appear for a short time, and are prone to be misdiagnosed as primary nasal diseases, leading to a poor prognosis (all patients with data available died within 4 months). Clown nose-like lesions associated with genetic cancer predisposition syndromes usually develop at a young age (mean age 15.3) with female preference (9/10). They are accompanied by multiple-systemic involvements, including low hair volume, developmental delay, cancer predisposition or neurological diseases. They show slow development and often positive family history (6/10). These two kinds of clown nose-like lesions are often asymptomatic, which delays the diagnosis and treatment of underlying malignancies or syndromes. In brief, the term of clown nose-like lesion is underrecognized, and should be updated. Clown nose-like lesions can serve as indicators to at least three categories of clinical issues: metastatic visceral tumors, genetic syndromes, and primary diseases involving the nasal tip. Increased awareness of clinical features of updated clown nose-like lesions can alert physicians to these underlying malignancies or syndromes, render earlier detection of associated medical issues, and allow for genetic counseling of family members.

Acral Metastasis of the Fingers: Report of 2 Cases

Cutaneous metastases appear in 0.6% to 10.4% of malignant tumors and account for 2% of all cutaneous tumors. Metastasis to the skin may arise from progression of a known primary tumor or provide the first sign of an unsuspected one. Acral metastases are particularly unusual. Most derive from bone tumors. Clinical signs vary and the lesions generally resemble infection or inflammation, leading to diagnostic delays. When metástasis involves the fingers, the primary tumor is usually lung carcinoma. In contrast, toe involvement usually derives from a tumor in the genitourinary tract. A pathologic diagnosis in these cases is necessary and will suggest the location of the primary tumor. We report 2 cases of metástasis to the fingers. One is the first report of acral metástasis of a myoepithelial carcinoma of the breast. The other concerns acral metástasis as the first sign of lung carcinoma.

"Clown nose" as first manifestation of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung

BACKGROUND

Skin metastases occur in 0.7% to 9% of all patients with cancer and are usually considered a late event in the evolution of most visceral carcinomas. The development of a nodular metastatic lesion on the nasal tip is known as clown nose sign.

MAIN OBSERVATION

We report a 64-year-old man that developed a nodular lesion on his nasal tip as first manifestation of squamous lung carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

The biopsy of the cutaneous metastasis may be helpful to histopathologically confirm the suspected primary tumour avoiding invasive diagnostic procedures.

Clown nose: a case of disfiguring nodular squamous cell carcinoma of the face

'Clown nose' (CN) is the common medical term referring to a reddish-brown bulge involving the tip of the nose, reminding of a clown's fake red nose. Reports about these tumours are scarce. Most reports refer to metastatic skin manifestation of systemic malignancies: this condition has been rarely described as a primary skin neoplasm. We report a case of a 31-year-old patient with a giant cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the nose which evolved into a CN. After ruling out genetic or immune risk factors, the patient was treated with surgical excision of the lesion and local reconstruction with good aesthetic outcome and no recurrence over a 2-year follow-up.

Cutaneous metastases of internal tumors

Cutaneous metastases are relatively rare in clinical practice and their diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion because clinical findings can be subtle. These metastases reveal the presence of disseminated malignant disease and can lead to the diagnosis of unsuspected internal tumors or the spread or recurrence of an already diagnosed tumor. Early recognition of cutaneous metastases can facilitate prompt and accurate diagnosis resulting in early treatment; however, they are generally indicative of a poor prognosis. Some tumors have a predilection to metastasize to specific areas. Recognition of these patterns provides essential information that can guide the search for the underlying tumor.