Tattoo Guidelines in the At-Risk Cancer Population

Abstract

With tattoo prevalence on the rise in all age groups, it is important to acknowledge that it is a potential cause of lymphadenopathy while simultaneously being aware of its mimicking presence in high-risk populations such as those with current or prior cancer diagnoses. The period of time between identification and diagnosis provides a great amount of stress and anxiety for patients and their families. We present a case of a patient who had multiple recurrences of an unknown primary and underwent multiple workups with no subsequent diagnosis. One particular workup yielded the diagnosis of tattoo-related lymphadenitis; while this particular occurrence was a benign finding, the extensive workup took a toll on the patient and his family as the fear of cancer progression with an allusive diagnosis continued to be a major factor in their lives.