Sister Mary Joseph Nodule

Abstract

A Sister Mary Joseph nodule (SMJN) is a malignancy located in the periumbilical region. Often misinterpreted as a simple hernia, it is associated with advanced metastatic cancer. First reported in 1846, its primary sources include the gastrointestinal system and female reproductive sites. The most common origins include gastrointestinal (52%), gynecologic (28%), stomach (23%), and ovarian (16%). The presence of SMJN usually indicates widespread disease and is associated with a poor prognosis and complex therapeutic implications, with average patient survival of only 10 to 11 months after diagnosis. This report demonstrates the capability of sonography to evaluate soft tissue periumbilical masses, describes their sonographic appearance, and evaluates the utility of sonography to accurately locate the SMJN for biopsy.

Endometriosis of the umbilicus in a 36-year-old woman: a case report and literature review

“…Immunohistochemistry using CD10 biomarkers for staining the stromal cells has also been reported to be supportive when it comes to diagnosing umbilical endometriosis 14 , 15 . Furthermore, imaging techniques such as MRI and computed tomography scan, on the other hand, have been found helpful in the process of diagnosing umbilical endometriosis 14 , 15 . Therefore, the diagnosis of umbilical endometriosis requires a meticulous collection of information for its definitive diagnosis.…”

“…Fine needle aspiration cytology has been reported to be not confirmatory for diagnosing umbilical endometriosis 13 . The suspicion made from the cytopathology of the aspirate materials taken from the umbilical mass can be confirmed by means of histopathology, which also helps to exclude the presence of metastases to the umbilicus 14 , 15 . Immunohistochemistry using CD10 biomarkers for staining the stromal cells has also been reported to be supportive when it comes to diagnosing umbilical endometriosis 14 , 15 .…”

“…The suspicion made from the cytopathology of the aspirate materials taken from the umbilical mass can be confirmed by means of histopathology, which also helps to exclude the presence of metastases to the umbilicus 14 , 15 . Immunohistochemistry using CD10 biomarkers for staining the stromal cells has also been reported to be supportive when it comes to diagnosing umbilical endometriosis 14 , 15 . Furthermore, imaging techniques such as MRI and computed tomography scan, on the other hand, have been found helpful in the process of diagnosing umbilical endometriosis 14 , 15 .…”

“…When umbilical endometriosis is suspected on the basis of clinical and imaging workup, surgical treatment is recommended for several reasons. Removal of the entire lesion only enables accurate histopathological diagnosis of umbilical endometriosis, thus, excluding unusual malignant disorders of the umbilicus, such as metastases or other skin neoplasms 14 , 15 . Furthermore, removal of the nodule is warranted because the malignant transformation of endometrial lesions, although rare, has been described 15 .…”