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Paraneoplastic acral vascular syndrome
A 66-year-old woman presented to the emergency room with pain and bluish discoloration of her left great toe for the past 2 days. She had no history of trauma to the toe or of peripheral vascular disease. She also complained of intermittent abdominal pain for the last 5 months and unintentional weight loss of 8 pounds.
Vascular disease was suspected, and the patient was started on systemic anticoagulation. However, chest computed tomography (CT) and conventional angiography showed no aortic disease; vessels were of normal caliber, and no distal filling defects were noted.
A routine evaluation with complete blood cell count, peripheral smear, renal function testing, and urinalysis with eosinophil smear was also unrevealing. An extensive investigation followed, including serum complement testing, assays for antinuclear, antineutrophil cytoplasmic, and anti-Sjögren syndrome A and B antibodies, cryoglobulin testing, and hepatitis B and C virus serology, as well as screening for syphilis and lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, and beta-2 glycoprotein antibodies. The results for all these tests were also unremarkable.
Results of coagulation testing and venous duplex ultrasonography of the legs were normal, and electrocardiography and echocardiography showed no signs of valvular vegetation, myxoma, or patent foramen ovale.
Given our patient’s age, abdominal pain, and weight loss but negative vascular evaluation, we considered a diagnosis of paraneoplastic acral vascular syndrome. Abdominal CT revealed a tumor of the pancreatic head with multiple liver lesions, and cytologic study confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
DISTANT MARKERS OF MALIGNANCY
Causes of blue toe syndrome to consider in the differential diagnosis include arterial thromboembolism, vasoconstrictive drug use or disorders, vasculitis, and venous thrombosis.1 These are common and deserve prompt investigation. However, if they are ruled out, a peripheral acral vascular syndrome should be considered. These syndromes present as Raynaud phenomenon, gangrene, or acrocyanosis of the fingers or toes with underlying neoplasia. Unusual features such as sudden onset in a patient over age 50, an acral distribution, and associated symptoms such as unrelated pain and weight loss should spark concern for underlying malignancy.
Paraneoplastic syndromes are defined as signs and symptoms that present distant from the site of malignancy. Dermatoses as markers of internal malignancy are well-established but perplexing clinical entities whose exact causes remain unknown.2
Paraneoplastic dermatoses are well recognized as harbingers of metastatic disease.5,6 Our patient’s story demonstrates need for a thorough diagnostic investigation.
- Hirschmann JV, Raugi GJ. Blue (or purple) toe syndrome. J Am Acad Dermatol 2009; 60:1–20.
- Naschitz JE, Rosner I, Rozenbaum M, Zuckerman E, Yeshurun D. Rheumatic syndromes: clues to occult neoplasia. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1999; 29:43–55.
- Poszepczynska-Guigné E, Viguier M, Chosidow O, Orcel B, Emmerich J, Dubertret L. Paraneoplastic acral vascular syndrome: epidemiologic features, clinical manifestations, and disease sequelae. J Am Acad Dermatol 2002; 47:47–52.
- DeCross AJ, Sahasrabudhe DM. Paraneoplastic Raynaud's phenomenon. Am J Med 1992; 92:571–572.
- Ramos-E-Silva M, Carvalho JC, Carneiro SC. Cutaneous paraneoplasia. Clin Dermatol 2011; 29:541–547.
- Chung VQ, Moschella SL, Zembowicz A, Liu V. Clinical and pathologic findings of paraneoplastic dermatoses. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 54:745–762.
A 66-year-old woman presented to the emergency room with pain and bluish discoloration of her left great toe for the past 2 days. She had no history of trauma to the toe or of peripheral vascular disease. She also complained of intermittent abdominal pain for the last 5 months and unintentional weight loss of 8 pounds.
Vascular disease was suspected, and the patient was started on systemic anticoagulation. However, chest computed tomography (CT) and conventional angiography showed no aortic disease; vessels were of normal caliber, and no distal filling defects were noted.
A routine evaluation with complete blood cell count, peripheral smear, renal function testing, and urinalysis with eosinophil smear was also unrevealing. An extensive investigation followed, including serum complement testing, assays for antinuclear, antineutrophil cytoplasmic, and anti-Sjögren syndrome A and B antibodies, cryoglobulin testing, and hepatitis B and C virus serology, as well as screening for syphilis and lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, and beta-2 glycoprotein antibodies. The results for all these tests were also unremarkable.
Results of coagulation testing and venous duplex ultrasonography of the legs were normal, and electrocardiography and echocardiography showed no signs of valvular vegetation, myxoma, or patent foramen ovale.
Given our patient’s age, abdominal pain, and weight loss but negative vascular evaluation, we considered a diagnosis of paraneoplastic acral vascular syndrome. Abdominal CT revealed a tumor of the pancreatic head with multiple liver lesions, and cytologic study confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
DISTANT MARKERS OF MALIGNANCY
Causes of blue toe syndrome to consider in the differential diagnosis include arterial thromboembolism, vasoconstrictive drug use or disorders, vasculitis, and venous thrombosis.1 These are common and deserve prompt investigation. However, if they are ruled out, a peripheral acral vascular syndrome should be considered. These syndromes present as Raynaud phenomenon, gangrene, or acrocyanosis of the fingers or toes with underlying neoplasia. Unusual features such as sudden onset in a patient over age 50, an acral distribution, and associated symptoms such as unrelated pain and weight loss should spark concern for underlying malignancy.
Paraneoplastic syndromes are defined as signs and symptoms that present distant from the site of malignancy. Dermatoses as markers of internal malignancy are well-established but perplexing clinical entities whose exact causes remain unknown.2
Paraneoplastic dermatoses are well recognized as harbingers of metastatic disease.5,6 Our patient’s story demonstrates need for a thorough diagnostic investigation.
A 66-year-old woman presented to the emergency room with pain and bluish discoloration of her left great toe for the past 2 days. She had no history of trauma to the toe or of peripheral vascular disease. She also complained of intermittent abdominal pain for the last 5 months and unintentional weight loss of 8 pounds.
Vascular disease was suspected, and the patient was started on systemic anticoagulation. However, chest computed tomography (CT) and conventional angiography showed no aortic disease; vessels were of normal caliber, and no distal filling defects were noted.
A routine evaluation with complete blood cell count, peripheral smear, renal function testing, and urinalysis with eosinophil smear was also unrevealing. An extensive investigation followed, including serum complement testing, assays for antinuclear, antineutrophil cytoplasmic, and anti-Sjögren syndrome A and B antibodies, cryoglobulin testing, and hepatitis B and C virus serology, as well as screening for syphilis and lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, and beta-2 glycoprotein antibodies. The results for all these tests were also unremarkable.
Results of coagulation testing and venous duplex ultrasonography of the legs were normal, and electrocardiography and echocardiography showed no signs of valvular vegetation, myxoma, or patent foramen ovale.
Given our patient’s age, abdominal pain, and weight loss but negative vascular evaluation, we considered a diagnosis of paraneoplastic acral vascular syndrome. Abdominal CT revealed a tumor of the pancreatic head with multiple liver lesions, and cytologic study confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
DISTANT MARKERS OF MALIGNANCY
Causes of blue toe syndrome to consider in the differential diagnosis include arterial thromboembolism, vasoconstrictive drug use or disorders, vasculitis, and venous thrombosis.1 These are common and deserve prompt investigation. However, if they are ruled out, a peripheral acral vascular syndrome should be considered. These syndromes present as Raynaud phenomenon, gangrene, or acrocyanosis of the fingers or toes with underlying neoplasia. Unusual features such as sudden onset in a patient over age 50, an acral distribution, and associated symptoms such as unrelated pain and weight loss should spark concern for underlying malignancy.
Paraneoplastic syndromes are defined as signs and symptoms that present distant from the site of malignancy. Dermatoses as markers of internal malignancy are well-established but perplexing clinical entities whose exact causes remain unknown.2
Paraneoplastic dermatoses are well recognized as harbingers of metastatic disease.5,6 Our patient’s story demonstrates need for a thorough diagnostic investigation.
- Hirschmann JV, Raugi GJ. Blue (or purple) toe syndrome. J Am Acad Dermatol 2009; 60:1–20.
- Naschitz JE, Rosner I, Rozenbaum M, Zuckerman E, Yeshurun D. Rheumatic syndromes: clues to occult neoplasia. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1999; 29:43–55.
- Poszepczynska-Guigné E, Viguier M, Chosidow O, Orcel B, Emmerich J, Dubertret L. Paraneoplastic acral vascular syndrome: epidemiologic features, clinical manifestations, and disease sequelae. J Am Acad Dermatol 2002; 47:47–52.
- DeCross AJ, Sahasrabudhe DM. Paraneoplastic Raynaud's phenomenon. Am J Med 1992; 92:571–572.
- Ramos-E-Silva M, Carvalho JC, Carneiro SC. Cutaneous paraneoplasia. Clin Dermatol 2011; 29:541–547.
- Chung VQ, Moschella SL, Zembowicz A, Liu V. Clinical and pathologic findings of paraneoplastic dermatoses. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 54:745–762.
- Hirschmann JV, Raugi GJ. Blue (or purple) toe syndrome. J Am Acad Dermatol 2009; 60:1–20.
- Naschitz JE, Rosner I, Rozenbaum M, Zuckerman E, Yeshurun D. Rheumatic syndromes: clues to occult neoplasia. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1999; 29:43–55.
- Poszepczynska-Guigné E, Viguier M, Chosidow O, Orcel B, Emmerich J, Dubertret L. Paraneoplastic acral vascular syndrome: epidemiologic features, clinical manifestations, and disease sequelae. J Am Acad Dermatol 2002; 47:47–52.
- DeCross AJ, Sahasrabudhe DM. Paraneoplastic Raynaud's phenomenon. Am J Med 1992; 92:571–572.
- Ramos-E-Silva M, Carvalho JC, Carneiro SC. Cutaneous paraneoplasia. Clin Dermatol 2011; 29:541–547.
- Chung VQ, Moschella SL, Zembowicz A, Liu V. Clinical and pathologic findings of paraneoplastic dermatoses. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 54:745–762.
