Turkish Journal of Pathology

Türk Patoloji Dergisi

Turkish Journal of Pathology

Turkish Journal of Pathology

2010, Vol 26, Num, 2     (Pages: 162-164)

Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder with Skin Metastasis: A Case Report

Erdal KARAGÜLLE 1, Emin TÜRK 1, Halil KIYICI 2, Elif KARADELİ 3, Gökhan MORAY 1

1 Departments of General Surgery, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine, ANKARA, TURKEY
2 Departments of Pathology, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine, ANKARA, TURKEY
3 Departments of Radiology, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine, ANKARA, TURKEY

DOI: 10.5146/tjpath.2010.01016
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The aim of this case report is to attract the attention of related clinicians to similar cases because of their rarity. We believe this case and other similar cases in the literature could initiate studies that may explain the pathways of metastasis.

A 50-year-old female patient underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy because of symptomatic cholelithiasis. Postoperative pathologic examination of the specimen led to a diagnosis of signet ring carcinoma in the wall of gallbladder. After this incidental diagnosis, this patient underwent a second operation, which was a radical cholecystectomy. After pathological examination of the second operation material, we decided to call this patient for periodic controls, as the tumor was graded as stage I. A cutaneous lesion 33 months after the second operation was diagnosed as metastasis of signet ring cell carcinoma.

Signet ring carcinoma of the gallbladder is a rarely seen malignancy. Cutaneous metastasis of this rare malignancy is also quite rare. There are only a few reports of cutaneous metastasis of signet ring carcinoma of the gallbladder. It is necessary to explain the reasons of this unusual metastasis with further studies.

Keywords : Gallbladder neoplasms, Signet ring cell carcinoma, Skin nodule, Metastasis