Sister Mary Joseph's Nodule

Umbilical nodule, universally known as Sister Mary Joseph's Nodule, mostly is a metastatic manifestation of an underlying advanced malignant disease and is associated with a grave prognosis. Umbilical swelling due to any benign disease is called Pseudo Sister Mary Joseph's nodule. A 41year-old woman presented with a gradually increasing peri-umbilical nodule. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the nodule proved to be metastatic adenocarcinoma and search for the primary revealed an advanced gastric malignancy. An apparently insignificant umbilical nodule, may be the only manifestation of an underlying advanced malignant disease and therefore clinicians should be aware of such nodule. Histological/cytological examination of such a nodule not only confirms the diagnosis but also helps the clinician to search for the possible primary site.