Nasal Tip Cutaneous Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Case Report

Abstract

Background

Cutaneous metastasis is rare in clinical practice, especially that from primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is even rarer.

Case Presentation

This report describes a male patient with HCC with cutaneous metastases to the nasal tip. The patient developed a raised nodule at the nasal tip 5 years after surgery for HCC, with surface ulceration and crusting and no obvious symptoms. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed an obvious mass in the liver. The skin lesions on the nasal tip were confirmed to be cutaneous metastasis of HCC by histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations.

Conclusion

The incidence of cutaneous metastasis of HCC is extremely low, and nasal tip cutaneous metastasis of HCC has no specific clinical manifestations; therefore, it needs to be distinguished from rosacea rhinophyma, fungal and atypical mycobacterial infections, tumours of vascular origin, and tumours of skin appendages that occur in the nasal tip and is prone to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis, thus requiring clinical dermatologists and otolaryngologists to be aware of such metastasis.

Keywords:

• primary
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• metastatic cancer
• skin
• nasal tip

Abbreviations

CT, computed tomography; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma.

Data Sharing Statement

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Consent for Publication

The patient had given written informed consent for the publication of his clinical details. Institutional approval is not required for this case study.

Disclosure

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (20DZ2272000).