Prostate cancer revealed by skin metastasis: A case report in black African man

Abstract

Introduction: Prostate cancer is the most common male malignancy in Togo. Most patients present with advanced and metastatic disease. Skin metastasis from prostate cancer is very rare and it occurs late and often with a poor prognosis. We report a case in a 52-year-old Togolese man where the skin lesions reveal the disease and with a good prognosis three years after treatment. Observation: In 2012, a 52-year-old man presented in dermatology with multiple painless skin nodules on his chest. He did not have lower urinary tract symptoms The biopsy of the skin lesion (three nodules) showed a metastasis of adenocarcinoma type tumor and tumor markers performed pointed toward prostate as primary site. In urology a diagnostic biopsy (12 cores) of prostate revealed a high-grade (Gleason grade 4 + 4) adenocarcinoma. We performed a bilateral orchiectomy as androgen deprivation therapy and one month after this treatment the skin lesions have disappeared. Conclusion: Skin metastasis of prostate cancer is rare and their recognition remains poor among practitioners requiring biopsy of the lesions. The prognosis could be better in newly diagnosed prostate cancer.

Keywords

• Skin metastasis
• Prostate cancer
• Africa