Endometrial carcinoma metastasis to the distal phalanx of the hallux: a case report.

Abstract

Endometrial carcinoma is the most common invasive cancer of the female genital tract and accounts for 7% of all invasive cancer in women. Bony metastasis is uncommon with endometrial carcinoma and distal metastasis is very rare. The purpose of this paper is to present a case of an 86 year-old female with endometrial carcinoma metastasis to the distal phalanx of the hallux. The patient had a known history of endometrial carcinoma with metastases (FIGO IIIC), and had been diagnosed with pulmonary and bony metastases 2 months prior to presentation. Her initial foot complaint was of a painful, infected ingrown toenail. The infection continued to progress following avulsion of the nail, and the patient was then diagnosed with osteomyelitis. Given her past history, the possibility of metastasis to the hallux was also considered. A hallux amputation was performed, and the pathology report revealed the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma metastasis to the distal phalanx of the hallux. While the amputation site healed uneventfully, the patient refused further treatment measures for her carcinoma and eventually succumbed to the disease.