CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Revista Iberoamericana de Cirugía de la Mano 2022; 50(01): e19-e26
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1744260
Original Article | Artículo Original

Acrometastases to the Hand and Wrist: A Series of 9 Cases and Review of the Literature

Article in several languages: English | español
D. Valverde-Vilamala
1   Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain
,
A. Sala-Pujals
1   Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain
,
J. Cebamanos
1   Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain
,
1   Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain
› Author Affiliations
 

Abstract

Introduction Acrometastases are extremely rare in the hand, with a prevalence of around 0.1% according to the literature. They are normally associated with advanced tumor stages, especially in lung cancer. The present article shows the experience of our center in the management and treatment of these pathologies.

Materials and Methods We report a series of 9 cases treated between 1992 and 2020 in the hand and wrist. Data regarding the primary tumor, the target organ, and survival are analyzed. A review of the cases of acrometastasis reported in the literature is also carried out, emphasizing in how many of then the acral lesion was the first sign of an unknown tumor.

Results Acrometastases predominantly affect male patients aged around 60 years, and the primary tumor that is the cause in most cases is lung cancer, with a very low survival rate after the diagnosis (of approximately 8 months).

Discussion and Conclusions In cases of acral lesion of non-traumatic origin, acrometastases should be considered, especially in patients who have a known primary tumor. In the present series, there were three cases in which the acrometastases were the first sign of a tumor in the patient, and in one of them it was initially treated as whitlow. In the literature, in approximately 50% of the cases, acrometastases are the first sign of the presence of a tumor.

Once diagnosed, multidisciplinary medicosurgical treatment is essential to improve the patient's function and pain as much as possible.


#

Introduction

Tumor metastases in the hand are extremely rare, with a prevalence of around 0.1% of all metastatic lesions.[1] They are more common in the lower limbs than in the upper limbs, and do not have a predominant age of onset. It is a more common pathology in men than in women.[2]

They appear more habitually in patients who are in advanced stages of cancer,[3] and lung carcinoma is the one that most frequently generates them.[4] They rarely appear as the first telltale sign of the primary pathology.[1]

They usually show up in the terminal phases of the disease, usually due to hematogenous spread, and postdiagnosis survival is usually low (average: 7 months), although it does not mean that they worsen the prognosis.[5]

The treatment will depend on the primary pathology of the patient, their life expectancy and symptoms.[6] In the present article, we describe a series of acrometastases to the hand and wrist, their therapeutic management, and review the existing literature.


#

Materials and Methods

The present is a retrospective review of a series of 9 cases of acrometastases only to the hand and wrist, collected in the same center between 1992 and 2020.

Data on the primary tumor, location of the metastasis in the hand, treatment and patient survival once diagnosed with acrometastases were collected from each of the cases.

In addition, a review of the literature of all the articles indexed in PubMed on acrometastases has been carried out, and, from each article, we have reviewed the primary tumor, the target organ, the demographic data, and if the acral lesion was the first sign of an unknown tumor pathology. To perform the search, we associated the keywords acrometastases and hand.


#

Results

The main results of our series are presented in [Table 1], in which a predominance of men (60%) with a mean age of 66 years (range: 47 to 86 years) can be observed.

Table 1

Case

Gender

Age at diagnosis (years)

Target

Primary tumor

Treatment

Survival (months)

1

Male

74

Pyramidal bone

Lung

Radiotherapy

8

2

Male

71

Second metacarpal

Lung

No

2

3

Female

47

Distal radius

Lung

Radiotherapy

2

4

Female

53

Distal phalanx of the ring finger

Breast

Amputation

3

5

Male

86

First metacarpal

Lung

No

7

6

Female

71

Distal phalanx of the index finger

Lung

Radiotherapy + amputation

2

7

Male

73

Distal phalanx of the index finger and proximal phalanx of the thumb

Sigmoid colon

Radiotherapy + amputation

3

8

Male

56

Distal phalanx of the index finger

Lung

Amputation + chemotherapy

4

9

Male

66

Distal radius

Kidney

Exeresis + ulnocarpal arthrodesis

43

In 3 of the 9 cases (case 1, 2, and 6) the metastatic lesion was the first manifestation of the disease, and in all 3 it was squamous cell carcinoma of the lung ([fig. 1a, 1b, 1c]).

Zoom Image
Fig 1 (A) T2-weighted MRI scan showing a metastatic lesion in the distal phalanx. (B) Radiographic image of a case of lung carcinoma in anteroposterior view of the chest. (C) Image of the complete amputation of the second finger.

As for the differential diagnosis, in case number 4 there was an initial confusion in the diagnosis of the lesion, which was treated as a case of whitlow. After verifying that the antibiotic therapy was not effective, it was decided that a biopsy of the lesion should be performed, which concluded that it was a metastasis of a breast carcinoma.

Regarding treatment, for the most part, amputation with or without adjuvant radiotherapy was the most used. However, in one of the cases (number 9), the patient presented renal carcinoma with pulmonary involvement and a single metastasis in the distal radius. The osteolytic lesion was large and very painful, so the physicians decided to excise it and use the single-bone forearm technique, with the performance of an arthrodesis of the ulna and carpus.

One of the patients, whose index finger was amputated due to acrometastases secondary to carcinoma of the sigmoid colon (case number 7), had the peculiarity that a second lesion appeared 2 months later in the thumb of the contralateral hand.

The overall survival after the diagnosis was of 8.22 months (range: 2 to 43 months).

The main results of the literature review are presented in [Table 2], in which one can see that there is a male predominance, the patients have a mean age of 60 years, and the most frequent primary tumor is lung cancer (61% of the published cases), followed by kidney (11 %) and breast cancer (11%), although with a lower frequency. The acral lesion was the first sign of a previously-unknown tumor pathology in 48% of the patients.

Table 2

Gender (male/female)

Age (years)

Acrometastasis as first sign (cases)

Target

Primary tumor

Treatment

Survival

Muñoz-Mahamud et al.[8] (2017)

2/3

63

1/5

First metacarpal bone

Lung

No

6 months

Flynn et al.[9] (2008)

0/2

78

69

1/2

Second metacarpal bone;

third metacarpal bone

Lung;

breast

Radiotherapy; radiotherapy

Alive

Kumar et al. [11] (2011)

3/0

52;

60

2/3

Distal phalanx of the fifth finger; middle phalanx of the thumb

Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus;

squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

Radiotherapy; radiotherapy

Biyi et al.[12] (2010)

0/1

37

0/1

Middle phalanx of the left thumb

Breast

Chemotherapy

18 months

Xie[13] (2017)

1/0

45

0/1

Proximal phalanx of the left thumb

Lung

Amputation

Gilardi et al.[14] (2013)

1/0

55

1/1

Trapezium

Lung

Radiotherapy

Alive

Sahoo et al.[6] (2016)

1/0

53

1/1

Distal phalanx of the left index finger

Lung

Amputation

Liu et al.[15] (2014)

0/1

53

1/1

Second metacarpal bone

Lung

Asirvatham Gjorup et al.[16] (2017)

0/1

55

1/1

Middle phalanx of the third finger

Lung

2 months

Troncoso et al.[17] (1991)

1/1

Dstal phalanx of the finger

Kidney carcinoma

7 months

Taleb et al.[4] (2011)

0/1

46

1/1

Fourth left metacarpal bin

Urothelial carcinoma

Amputation

Lucilli et al.[18] (2010)

1/0

63

0/1

Middle phalanx of the left thumb

Lung

Amputation

Akjouj et al.[19] (2006)

1/0

57

1/1

Thumb

Lung

Bigot et al.[20] (2007)

1/0

64

0/1

Third metacarpal bone

Gastric carcinoma

5 years

Khosla et al.[21] (2012)

0/1

65

0/1

Fourth metacarpal bone

Vaginal carcinoma

Adegboyega et al.[22] (1999)

0/1

60

1/1

Middle phalanx of the third finger

Kidney carcinoma

Amputation

11 months

Rommer et al.[23] (2014)

1/1

30;

66

0/2

Distal phalanges of the fourth and fifth fingers; distal phalanx of the third finger

Hepatocarcinoma;

kidney carcinoma

Amputation;

amputation

-;

4 months

Hernández-Cortés et al.[24] (2015)

1/0

53

0/1

Distal phalanx of the fifth finger

Kidney carcinoma

3 months

Madjidi et al.[25] (2009)

1/0

55

1/1

Distal phalanx of the second finger

Lung

Borgohain et al.[26] (2012)

1/0

70

1/1

Second metacarpal bone, distal femur

Kidney carcinoma

No

Koyama and Koizumi[27] (2014)

1/0

62

0/1

Hamate

Lung

Kumar et al.[28] (2011)

1/0

55

0/1

Distal phalanges of all fingers

Laryngeal carcinoma

2 years

Gallardo-Alvarado et al.[29] (2020)

0/1

58

0/1

Right thumb

Cervical cancer

4 months

Voskuil et al.[30] (2019)

1/0

81

0/1

Scaphoid

Colon adenocarcinoma

Resection of the first row

1 year

Van Veenendaal et al.[31] (2014)

0/1

83

1/1

Proximal phalanx of the third right finger

Lung

Amputation

Miyamoto et al.[32] (2008)

0/1

72ª

0/1

Fifth metacarpal bone

Gastric carcinoma

Amputation

Ghert et al.[33] (2001)

0/1

56

0/1

Middle phalanx of the second left finger

Kidney carcinoma

Amputation

Alive

Rinonapoli et al.[34] (2012)

1/0

72

1/1

Carpus

Lung

Amputation

Tabrizi et al.[35] (2019)

1/0

60

1/1

Hamate

Lung

20 months

Salesi et al.[36] (2007)

0/1

Second left finger

Kidney carcinoma

Riter and Ghobrial[37] (2004)

0/1

53

0/1

Distal phalanx of the second right finger

Kidney carcinoma

Amputation

Lambe et al.[38] (2014)

1/0

72

0/1

Distal phalanx of the fifth finger

Lung

Radiotherapy

2 weeks

Cruz[39] (2021)

1/0

62

0/1

Third metacarpal bone

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Sumodhee et al.[40] (2014)

1/0

61

1/1

Middle phalanx of the fourth left finger L

Lung

Radiotherapy

Alive

Knapp and Abdul-Karim[41] (1994)

1/2

Lung;

dastric carcinoma

Lee et al.[42] (1999)

1/0

47

0/1

Middle phalanx of the thumb

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Amputation

5 months

Spiteri et al.[43] (2008)

1/0

82

1/1

Distal phalanx of the fourth right finger

Gastric carcinoma

Amputation

Ornetti et al.[44] (2012)

0/1

68

1/1

Distal phalanx of the second right finger

Endometrial carcinoma

No

6 months


#

Discussion

Acrometastases are uncommon in general, but more frequent in the lower extremities. In the hand, they have been described with a prevalence of around 0.1% of all bone metastases,[1] although it is probably higher due to subclinical cases and those that are not reported. The reason for this phenomenon could be the lower amount of bone marrow in the bones of the hand, as well as the lower amount of slow venous flow in these locations.[7] Afshar et al.[5] determined in their review that bone metastases distal to the elbow are more frequently caused by supradiaphragmatic tumors. In the series of the present study, 6 out of 9 cases originated from lung carcinoma. This is the primary tumor that most generates acrometastases in the hand. Although there is no proven theory, the explanation could be that the spread of these tumors is mainly hematogenous[8] and the lung has great access to arterial blood. Kidney and breast tumors are the next in terms of prevalence.[3]

It has also been seen that it affects men more than women, which could be explained by the higher frequency of lung cancer among men.[9]

In the present series, the most patients were men: 6 out of 9. In addition, except for one case, all those caused by pulmonary neoplasia occurred in men.

All the bones of the hand have been reported as metastatic targets in the literature, but the location where they most frequently settle is the distal phalanx of the dominant limb. Microtraumatisms produced by daily activities (typing, using the mobile phone...) are very common in the distal phalanx, it colud be the cause of small inflamatory reactions. The chemotherapeutic factors (prostaglandins...) produced would favor the settlement of tumor cells that arrive through the bloodstream [10] The proximal and middle phalanges, followed by the metacarpus, are next in frequency, while it is rarer that they involve the carpal bones. The most commonly-affected finger is the third,[10] which is far from the results obtained in the present review, in that there were no cases in which this finger was affected ([Fig. 2a, 2b]).

Zoom Image
Fig 2 (A) Clinical signs of acrometastases in the distal phalanx of a second finger. (B) Radiological signs.

Regarding the diagnosis, considering the results of the literature review ([Table 2]), one can observe that in 48% of the cases it was the first symptom of the primary tumor. In the present series, in 3 out of the 9 cases, it was the first symptom of the tumor, and these 3 cases were all of lung neoplasms. The initial diagnostic orientation may be erroneous, as in one of the cases, in which a whitlow was treated, which did not improve with antibiotic therapy, and the physicians decided to perform a biopsy, which concluded that it was a metastasis of an already-known breast tumor. Therefore, a good differential diagnosis is important when facing an acral lesion of this type, since it may be confused with other entities such as: infections (case number 4), inflammatory pathologies, gout, essential cysts, and primary skin tumors.[9] Clinically, these lesions usually start with inflammation, erythema, pain, and fluctuation,[1] so they can be difficult to differentiate from other pathologies. It is important, therefore, to review the patient's clinical history, since in most cases there is a history of tumor pathology.

In the event of a suspicious lesion, apart from a good examination, imaging tests should be performed, which should include X-rays to assess bone damage. Metastatic or tumoral lesions in the hand are usually observed as lytic lesions in the bone, without periosteal reaction or joint involvement, characteristics that differentiate them from osteomyelitis[16] ([Fig. 2a], [fig. 2b]). A computed tomography (CT) scan can help expand this information. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan should be performed to assess soft-tissue involvement and adjacent neurovascular structures.

A positron-emission tomography (PET) scan can detect lesions in other locations of the body and is the test that best detects these lesions before they are symptomatic.[45] Finally, an incisional or excisional biopsy is essential to determine the anatomicopathological diagnosis.

In those patients in whom the primary pathology is unknown, coordination with the oncology unit is essential to perform the extension study and provide the best possible treatment. The overall survival of these patients with acrometastases is low, the average from diagnosis is of 7 months.[5] The appearence of acrometastases in a patient affected by a tumor indicates that said pathology is very widespread, so it is considered a bad prognostic factor.[3]

The treatment must be individualized and has two primary objectives: to reduce pain and preserve hand function, since it has not been shown in the literature that treatment improves the patient's prognosis.[5] Before performing it, it is imperative to find the primary tumor (if it is not known) and stage it, to determine the patient's survival and thus be able to offer a better treatment. The most used treatment in the literature is amputation,[5] [7] [9] mainly because the cases mostly involve the distal phalanges or metacarpals.[6] But when it affects bones such as the distal radius, exeresis is an option to consider, as long as the patient tolerates it. In the present series, in case 9, the technique of ulnocarpal or forearm arthrodesis of a single bone was performed in order to fulfill the two premises (pain control and preservation of function). This patient has undergone cancer treatment with chemotherapy, with good response. Two years after surgery, he required another intervention, in this case, to excise a new metastatic lesion at the level of the right elbow ([fig 3a, 3b, 3c]). After 43 months of the surgery, the patient has good pain control and no signs of local recurrence. This long survival is not uncommon, since the causal primary tumor was a renal carcinoma that was treated with nephrectomy. Jung et al.[46] have already reported a series of 8 cases of solitary metastases from primary renal tumors that were treated in the same way, and they obtained a survival of 69 months (range: 24 to 76 months).

Zoom Image
Fig 3 (A) Radiological image of an osteolytic lesion in the distal radius. (B) Single-bone forearm technique. (C) En bloc resection of the distal radial epiphysis.

In order to control pain, the use of radiotherapy alone or associated with surgery is also very widespread,[45] although, depending on the degree of weakness of the patient, a comfort splint associated with analgesic medication may be definitive.

In conclusion, acrometastases in the hand are rare, but they must be considered in any rapidly-progressive lesion that does not respond to the usual treatments. We must be careful not to confuse these lesions with some more banal pathology, since sometimes they are the first symptom of an occult primary tumor. In cases in which the patient has already been diagnosed with a primary tumor, especially of the lung, they must be taken into consideration and treated accordingly. The type of treatment used will be more or less radical depending on the patient's condition and their life expectancy, with the sole mission of improving their quality of life. Therefore, it is important to study each case carefully and treat each patient individually.


#
#

Conflict of Interests

The authors have no conflict of interests to declare.

  • References

  • 1 Stomeo D, Tulli A, Ziranu A, Perisano C, De Santis V, Maccauro G. Acrometastasis: a literature review. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2015; 19 (15) 2906-2915
  • 2 Amadio PC, Lombardi RM. Metastatic tumors of the hand. J Hand Surg Am 1987; 12 (02) 311-316
  • 3 Kerin R. Metastatic tumors of the hand. A review of the literature. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1983; 65 (09) 1331-1335
  • 4 Taleb C, Pelissier P, Choughri H. [Bladder urothelial carcinoma with acrometastasis: a case report and review of the literature]. Chir Main 2011; 30 (02) 136-139
  • 5 Afshar A, Farhadnia P, Khalkhali H. Metastases to the hand and wrist: an analysis of 221 cases. J Hand Surg Am 2014; 39 (05) 923-32.e17 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2014.01.016.
  • 6 Sahoo TK, Das SK, Majumdar SK, Senapati SN, Parida DK. Digital Acrometastasis as Initial Presentation in Carcinoma of Lung A Case Report and Review of Literature. J Clin Diagn Res 2016; 10 (06) XD01-XD02
  • 7 Hayden RJ, Sullivan LG, Jebson PJ. The hand in metastatic disease and acral manifestations of paraneoplastic syndromes. Hand Clin 2004; 20 (03) 335-343 , vii
  • 8 Muñoz-Mahamud E, Combalia A, Carreño A, Arandes JM. Five cases of acrometastasis to the hand from a carcinoma and review of the literature. Hand Surg Rehabil 2017; 36 (01) 12-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.hansur.2016.10.211.
  • 9 Flynn CJ, Danjoux C, Wong J. et al. Two cases of acrometastasis to the hands and review of the literature. Curr Oncol 2008; 15 (05) 51-58
  • 10 Berrettoni BA, Carter JR. Mechanisms of cancer metastasis to bone. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1986; 68 (02) 308-312
  • 11 Kumar N, Bera A, Kumar R, Ghoshal S, Angurana SL, Srinivasan R. Squamous cell carcinoma of supraglottic larynx with metastasis to all five distal phalanges of left hand. Indian J Dermatol 2011; 56 (05) 578-580
  • 12 Biyi A, Oufroukhi Y, Doudouh A. [Hand and foot acrometastasis secondary to breast carcinoma]. Chir Main 2010; 29 (01) 40-43
  • 13 Xie P. Solitary Thumb Acrometastasis Identified on Bone Scintigraphy. Clin Nucl Med 2017; 42 (07) 549-550
  • 14 Gilardi R, Della Rosa N, Pancaldi G, Landi A. Acrometastasis showing an occult lung cancer. J Plast Surg Hand Surg 2013; 47 (06) 550-552
  • 15 Liu WC, Ho CJ, Lu CK, Wu CC, Fu YC, Chien SH. Acrometastasis to metacarpal bone disclosing an occult lung cancer. Case Reports Plast Surg Hand Surg 2014; 1 (01) 23-25
  • 16 Asirvatham Gjorup C, Ottesen SS, Gjerloff C. Acrometastasis as the first sign of an occult non-small cell carcinoma of lung. J Plast Surg Hand Surg 2017; 51 (02) 156-157
  • 17 Troncoso A, Ro JY, Grignon DJ. et al. Renal cell carcinoma with acrometastasis: report of two cases and review of the literature. Mod Pathol 1991; 4 (01) 66-69
  • 18 Lucilli N, Mattacheo A, Palacios A. [Acrometastasis due to lung cancer. A case presentation]. Arch Bronconeumol 2010; 46 (05) 279-280
  • 19 Akjouj S, El Kettani N, Semlali S. et al. [Thumb acrometastasis revealing lung adenocarcinoma: a case report with review of literature]. Chir Main 2006; 25 (02) 106-108
  • 20 Bigot P, Desbois E, Benoist N, Besnier L, Moui Y. [Isolated pain of the hand revealing a metastatic tumor of the hand. Report of a case]. Chir Main 2007; 26 (06) 300-302
  • 21 Khosla D, Rai B, Patel FD, Sapkota S, Srinvasan R, Sharma SC. Acrometastasis to hand in vaginal carcinoma: a rare entity. J Cancer Res Ther 2012; 8 (03) 430-432
  • 22 Adegboyega PA, Adesokan A, Viegas SF. Acrometastasis in renal cell carcinoma. South Med J 1999; 92 (10) 1009-1012
  • 23 Rommer E, Leilabadi SN, Lam G. et al. Metastasis of hepatocellular and renal cell carcinoma to the hand. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2014; 1 (09) e83
  • 24 Hernández-Cortés P, Caba-Molina M, Gómez-Sánchez R, Ríos-Peregrina R. Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Acrometastasis. An Unusual Terminal Condition. J Hand Microsurg 2015; 7 (01) 149-151
  • 25 Madjidi A, Cole P, Laucirica R. Digital acrometastasis: a rare initial sign of occult pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2009; 62 (10) e365-e367
  • 26 Borgohain B, Borgohain N, Khonglah T, Bareh J. Occult renal cell carcinoma with acrometastasis and ipsilateral juxta-articular knee lesions mimicking acute inflammation. Adv Biomed Res 2012; 1: 48
  • 27 Koyama M, Koizumi M. FDG-PET images of acrometastases. Clin Nucl Med 2014; 39 (03) 298-300
  • 28 Kumar N, Kumar R, Bera A. et al. Indian Palliative and supportive care in acrometastasis to the hand: case series. J Palliat Care 2011; 17 (03) 241-244
  • 29 Gallardo-Alvarado L, Ramos AA, Perez-Montiel D, Ramirez-Morales R, Diaz E, Leon DC. Hand metastasis in a patient with cervical cancer: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99 (27) e20897
  • 30 Voskuil RT, Smith JR, Swafford RE, Jemison DM. Colon adenocarcinoma with metastases to the scaphoid: a case report and review of the literature. J Surg Case Rep 2019; 2019 (02) rjz011
  • 31 van Veenendaal LM, de Klerk G, van der Velde D. A painful finger as first sign of a malignancy. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil 2014; 5 (01) 18-20
  • 32 Miyamoto W, Yamamoto S, Uchio Y. Metastasis of gastric cancer to the fifth metacarpal bone. Hand Surg 2008; 13 (03) 193-195
  • 33 Ghert MA, Harrelson JM, Scully SP. Solitary renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the hand: the need for wide excision or amputation. J Hand Surg Am 2001; 26 (01) 156-160
  • 34 Rinonapoli G, Caraffa A, Antenucci R. Lung cancer presenting as a metastasis to the carpal bones: a case report. J Med Case Reports 2012; 6: 384
  • 35 Tabrizi A, Afshar A, Shariyate MJ, Gharalari FH, Aidenlou A. Isolated Metastatic Carcinoma to the Hamate Bone: The First Manifestation of an Occult Malignancy. J Hand Microsurg 2019; 11 (Suppl. 01) S01-S05
  • 36 Salesi N, Russillo M, Marandino F. et al. Bone of the hands as unusual metastastatic site of renal cell carcinoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2007; 26 (04) 595-597
  • 37 Riter HG, Ghobrial IM. Renal cell carcinoma with acrometastasis and scalp metastasis. Mayo Clin Proc 2004; 79 (01) 76
  • 38 Lambe G, Le P, Clay TD. A finding with a diagnosis: I just can't put my finger on it. BMJ Case Rep 2014; 2014: bcr2014208665
  • 39 Cruz D. Unusual Manifestation of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in the Hand. J Hand Surg Am 2021; 46 (01) 74.e1-74.e8
  • 40 Sumodhee S, Huchot E, Peret G, Marchal C, Paganin F, Magnin V. Radiotherapy for a phalanx bone metastasis of a lung adenocarcinoma. Case Rep Oncol 2014; 7 (03) 727-731
  • 41 Knapp D, Abdul-Karim FW. Fine needle aspiration cytology of acrometastasis. A report of two cases. Acta Cytol 1994; 38 (04) 589-591
  • 42 Lee KS, Lee SH, Kang KH, Oh KJ. Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma of the Distal Phalanx of the Thumb. Hand Surg 1999; 4 (01) 95-100
  • 43 Spiteri V, Bibra A, Ashwood N, Cobb J. Managing acrometastases treatment strategy with a case illustration. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2008; 90 (07) W8-11
  • 44 Ornetti P, Favier L, Varbedian O, Ansemant T. Clinical Images: Digital acrometastasis revealing endometrial cancer relapse. Arthritis Rheum 2012; 64 (10) 3167
  • 45 Bhandari T, Brown E. Acrometastasis and the potential benefits of early positron emission tomography scanning. Ann Plast Surg 2011; 67 (02) 189-192
  • 46 Jung ST, Ghert MA, Harrelson JM, Scully SP. Treatment of osseous metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2003; (409) 223-231

Address for correspondence

Daniel Valverde-Vilamala
Parc de Salut Mar, Paseo Marítimo de la Barceloneta n° 25-29, Barcelona, Cataluña, 08003
España   

Publication History

Received: 29 September 2021

Accepted: 26 January 2022

Article published online:
23 June 2022

© 2022. SECMA Foundation. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.
Rua do Matoso 170, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 20270-135, Brazil

  • References

  • 1 Stomeo D, Tulli A, Ziranu A, Perisano C, De Santis V, Maccauro G. Acrometastasis: a literature review. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2015; 19 (15) 2906-2915
  • 2 Amadio PC, Lombardi RM. Metastatic tumors of the hand. J Hand Surg Am 1987; 12 (02) 311-316
  • 3 Kerin R. Metastatic tumors of the hand. A review of the literature. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1983; 65 (09) 1331-1335
  • 4 Taleb C, Pelissier P, Choughri H. [Bladder urothelial carcinoma with acrometastasis: a case report and review of the literature]. Chir Main 2011; 30 (02) 136-139
  • 5 Afshar A, Farhadnia P, Khalkhali H. Metastases to the hand and wrist: an analysis of 221 cases. J Hand Surg Am 2014; 39 (05) 923-32.e17 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2014.01.016.
  • 6 Sahoo TK, Das SK, Majumdar SK, Senapati SN, Parida DK. Digital Acrometastasis as Initial Presentation in Carcinoma of Lung A Case Report and Review of Literature. J Clin Diagn Res 2016; 10 (06) XD01-XD02
  • 7 Hayden RJ, Sullivan LG, Jebson PJ. The hand in metastatic disease and acral manifestations of paraneoplastic syndromes. Hand Clin 2004; 20 (03) 335-343 , vii
  • 8 Muñoz-Mahamud E, Combalia A, Carreño A, Arandes JM. Five cases of acrometastasis to the hand from a carcinoma and review of the literature. Hand Surg Rehabil 2017; 36 (01) 12-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.hansur.2016.10.211.
  • 9 Flynn CJ, Danjoux C, Wong J. et al. Two cases of acrometastasis to the hands and review of the literature. Curr Oncol 2008; 15 (05) 51-58
  • 10 Berrettoni BA, Carter JR. Mechanisms of cancer metastasis to bone. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1986; 68 (02) 308-312
  • 11 Kumar N, Bera A, Kumar R, Ghoshal S, Angurana SL, Srinivasan R. Squamous cell carcinoma of supraglottic larynx with metastasis to all five distal phalanges of left hand. Indian J Dermatol 2011; 56 (05) 578-580
  • 12 Biyi A, Oufroukhi Y, Doudouh A. [Hand and foot acrometastasis secondary to breast carcinoma]. Chir Main 2010; 29 (01) 40-43
  • 13 Xie P. Solitary Thumb Acrometastasis Identified on Bone Scintigraphy. Clin Nucl Med 2017; 42 (07) 549-550
  • 14 Gilardi R, Della Rosa N, Pancaldi G, Landi A. Acrometastasis showing an occult lung cancer. J Plast Surg Hand Surg 2013; 47 (06) 550-552
  • 15 Liu WC, Ho CJ, Lu CK, Wu CC, Fu YC, Chien SH. Acrometastasis to metacarpal bone disclosing an occult lung cancer. Case Reports Plast Surg Hand Surg 2014; 1 (01) 23-25
  • 16 Asirvatham Gjorup C, Ottesen SS, Gjerloff C. Acrometastasis as the first sign of an occult non-small cell carcinoma of lung. J Plast Surg Hand Surg 2017; 51 (02) 156-157
  • 17 Troncoso A, Ro JY, Grignon DJ. et al. Renal cell carcinoma with acrometastasis: report of two cases and review of the literature. Mod Pathol 1991; 4 (01) 66-69
  • 18 Lucilli N, Mattacheo A, Palacios A. [Acrometastasis due to lung cancer. A case presentation]. Arch Bronconeumol 2010; 46 (05) 279-280
  • 19 Akjouj S, El Kettani N, Semlali S. et al. [Thumb acrometastasis revealing lung adenocarcinoma: a case report with review of literature]. Chir Main 2006; 25 (02) 106-108
  • 20 Bigot P, Desbois E, Benoist N, Besnier L, Moui Y. [Isolated pain of the hand revealing a metastatic tumor of the hand. Report of a case]. Chir Main 2007; 26 (06) 300-302
  • 21 Khosla D, Rai B, Patel FD, Sapkota S, Srinvasan R, Sharma SC. Acrometastasis to hand in vaginal carcinoma: a rare entity. J Cancer Res Ther 2012; 8 (03) 430-432
  • 22 Adegboyega PA, Adesokan A, Viegas SF. Acrometastasis in renal cell carcinoma. South Med J 1999; 92 (10) 1009-1012
  • 23 Rommer E, Leilabadi SN, Lam G. et al. Metastasis of hepatocellular and renal cell carcinoma to the hand. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2014; 1 (09) e83
  • 24 Hernández-Cortés P, Caba-Molina M, Gómez-Sánchez R, Ríos-Peregrina R. Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Acrometastasis. An Unusual Terminal Condition. J Hand Microsurg 2015; 7 (01) 149-151
  • 25 Madjidi A, Cole P, Laucirica R. Digital acrometastasis: a rare initial sign of occult pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2009; 62 (10) e365-e367
  • 26 Borgohain B, Borgohain N, Khonglah T, Bareh J. Occult renal cell carcinoma with acrometastasis and ipsilateral juxta-articular knee lesions mimicking acute inflammation. Adv Biomed Res 2012; 1: 48
  • 27 Koyama M, Koizumi M. FDG-PET images of acrometastases. Clin Nucl Med 2014; 39 (03) 298-300
  • 28 Kumar N, Kumar R, Bera A. et al. Indian Palliative and supportive care in acrometastasis to the hand: case series. J Palliat Care 2011; 17 (03) 241-244
  • 29 Gallardo-Alvarado L, Ramos AA, Perez-Montiel D, Ramirez-Morales R, Diaz E, Leon DC. Hand metastasis in a patient with cervical cancer: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99 (27) e20897
  • 30 Voskuil RT, Smith JR, Swafford RE, Jemison DM. Colon adenocarcinoma with metastases to the scaphoid: a case report and review of the literature. J Surg Case Rep 2019; 2019 (02) rjz011
  • 31 van Veenendaal LM, de Klerk G, van der Velde D. A painful finger as first sign of a malignancy. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil 2014; 5 (01) 18-20
  • 32 Miyamoto W, Yamamoto S, Uchio Y. Metastasis of gastric cancer to the fifth metacarpal bone. Hand Surg 2008; 13 (03) 193-195
  • 33 Ghert MA, Harrelson JM, Scully SP. Solitary renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the hand: the need for wide excision or amputation. J Hand Surg Am 2001; 26 (01) 156-160
  • 34 Rinonapoli G, Caraffa A, Antenucci R. Lung cancer presenting as a metastasis to the carpal bones: a case report. J Med Case Reports 2012; 6: 384
  • 35 Tabrizi A, Afshar A, Shariyate MJ, Gharalari FH, Aidenlou A. Isolated Metastatic Carcinoma to the Hamate Bone: The First Manifestation of an Occult Malignancy. J Hand Microsurg 2019; 11 (Suppl. 01) S01-S05
  • 36 Salesi N, Russillo M, Marandino F. et al. Bone of the hands as unusual metastastatic site of renal cell carcinoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2007; 26 (04) 595-597
  • 37 Riter HG, Ghobrial IM. Renal cell carcinoma with acrometastasis and scalp metastasis. Mayo Clin Proc 2004; 79 (01) 76
  • 38 Lambe G, Le P, Clay TD. A finding with a diagnosis: I just can't put my finger on it. BMJ Case Rep 2014; 2014: bcr2014208665
  • 39 Cruz D. Unusual Manifestation of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in the Hand. J Hand Surg Am 2021; 46 (01) 74.e1-74.e8
  • 40 Sumodhee S, Huchot E, Peret G, Marchal C, Paganin F, Magnin V. Radiotherapy for a phalanx bone metastasis of a lung adenocarcinoma. Case Rep Oncol 2014; 7 (03) 727-731
  • 41 Knapp D, Abdul-Karim FW. Fine needle aspiration cytology of acrometastasis. A report of two cases. Acta Cytol 1994; 38 (04) 589-591
  • 42 Lee KS, Lee SH, Kang KH, Oh KJ. Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma of the Distal Phalanx of the Thumb. Hand Surg 1999; 4 (01) 95-100
  • 43 Spiteri V, Bibra A, Ashwood N, Cobb J. Managing acrometastases treatment strategy with a case illustration. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2008; 90 (07) W8-11
  • 44 Ornetti P, Favier L, Varbedian O, Ansemant T. Clinical Images: Digital acrometastasis revealing endometrial cancer relapse. Arthritis Rheum 2012; 64 (10) 3167
  • 45 Bhandari T, Brown E. Acrometastasis and the potential benefits of early positron emission tomography scanning. Ann Plast Surg 2011; 67 (02) 189-192
  • 46 Jung ST, Ghert MA, Harrelson JM, Scully SP. Treatment of osseous metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2003; (409) 223-231

Zoom Image
Fig 1 (A) T2-weighted MRI scan showing a metastatic lesion in the distal phalanx. (B) Radiographic image of a case of lung carcinoma in anteroposterior view of the chest. (C) Image of the complete amputation of the second finger.
Zoom Image
Fig 1 (A) Imagen de RM potenciada en T2 en la que se objetiva lesión metastásica en falange distal. (B) Imagen radiográfica del carcinoma de pulmón en proyección anteroposterior del tórax. (C) Imagen de la amputación completa del segundo dedo.
Zoom Image
Fig 2 (A) Clinical signs of acrometastases in the distal phalanx of a second finger. (B) Radiological signs.
Zoom Image
Fig 3 (A) Radiological image of an osteolytic lesion in the distal radius. (B) Single-bone forearm technique. (C) En bloc resection of the distal radial epiphysis.
Zoom Image
Fig 2 (A) Signos clínicos de acrometástasis en la falange distal de un segundo dedo. (B) Signos radiológicos.
Zoom Image
Fig 3 (A) Imagen radiológica de lesión osteolítica en radio distal. (B) Técnica de antebrazo de un sólo hueso. (C) Resección en bloque de la epífisis distal del radio.