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Available online 17 September 2025
Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule: Umbilical cutaneous metastasis as initial presentation of sigmoid adenocarcinoma
Nódulo de la hermana Mary Joseph: metástasis cutánea (letálide) umbilical como forma de presentación inicial de adenocarcinoma de sigmoide
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A. Hokama
Departamento de Chequeo Médico, Naha, Okinawa, Japan
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Dear Editors,

I read the Clinical Imaging in Gastroenterology article by Renau et al.1 with great interest. I would like to point out that this presentation has been referred to as Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule (SMJN) and comment on its brief history and clinical implications. Umbilical metastasis, known as SMJN, is a manifestation of advanced malignancy. The head surgical nurse, Sister Mary Joseph (1856-1939), pointed out this clinical sign and its negative prognostic value to Dr. William Mayo (1861-1939). In 1949, Sir Hamilton Bailey, a British surgeon, coined the term “SMJN”.2 SMJNs mainly originate from intra-abdominal cancers. The most frequent primary cancer site was the ovary (25.4%), followed by the colon (17.9%), the pancreas (6.5%), and the stomach (5.9%). The median survival rate was 7 months.2 Since the umbilicus is a special anatomical location with a complex network of vessels and developmental anomalies, various lesions, including infectious, inflammatory, benign, and malignant ones, can be encountered.3,4 Renau’s excellent images underscore the importance of recognizing SMJN as a rare but crucial indicator of advanced intra-abdominal cancer.

Ethical considerations

The author declares that no experiments were performed on humans or animals in this study.

Financial disclosure

No financial support was received in relation to this article.

Declaration of competing interest

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

References
[1]
G. Renau, J. Domènech, A. Sánchez.
Metástasis cutánea (letálide) umbilical como forma de presentación inicial de adenocarcinoma de sigma. Umbilical cutaneous metastasis as initial presentation of Sigmoid adenocarcinoma.
Rev Gastroenterol Mex, 90 (2025), pp. 314-315
[2]
R. Gabriele, M. Campagnol, V. Borrelli, I. Iannone, P. Sapienza, A.V. Sterpetti.
Sister Mary Jospeh’s nodule as metastasis of colorectal cancer. Systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis.
Int J Surg Case Rep, 123 (2024),
[3]
A. Das.
Umbilical lesions: a cluster of known unknowns and unknown unknowns.
[4]
J. Żółkiewicz, M. Sławińska, U. Maińska, R.J. Nowicki, M. Sobjanek, L. Thomas.
Dermoscopy of umbilical lesions—a systematic review.
Copyright © 2025. Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología
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