Cutaneous lymphangitis carcinomatosa in a patient with lung adenocarcinoma: Case report and literature review

We report the case of a man with a seven year history of lung adenocarcinoma who was diagnosed with cutaneous lymphangitis carcinomatosa. Skin examination revealed both an asymptomatic erysepelatoid rash localized on the posterior chest and an erythematous, eczematiform, itchy rash on the right anterior chest and on the left shoulder. Histopathologic examination of biopsies of these lesions revealed the same aspect with an infiltration of the dermal lymphatics by metastatic adenocarcinomatous cells. Cutaneous lymphangitis carcinomatosa is a rare condition accounting for less than 5% of skin metastases. A literature review identified eight other cases of cutaneous lymphangitis carcinomatosa in patients with lung cancer.