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CASE REPORT
Signet ring cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder presenting with carcinocythemia and skeletal metastasis: A case report
Emma Rullo1* ,
Piergianni Biondi2 ,
Chiara Nicolazzo3 ,
Walter Gianni2 ,
Luciano Colangelo2 ,
Mirella Cilli2 ,
Paola Gazzaniga3 ,
Mara Riminucci1 ,
Alessandro Corsi1 ,
Salvatore Minisola2
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1
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, and Section of Pathology, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome,
Italy
2
Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University, and Mineral Metabolism Section, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome,
Italy
3
Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, and Cancer Liquid Biopsy Unit, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome,
Italy
Submitted: 22 May 2024 | Accepted: 7 August 2024 | Published: 8 October 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract
Cancer of unknown primary accounts for approximately 3 – 5% of all malignancies and is typically associated with a dismal prognosis. We describe a 65-year-old man who presented with skeletal metastasis and circulating tumor cells exhibiting signet ring (SR) morphology. The patient was diagnosed with SR cell carcinoma (SRCC) through a bone marrow biopsy. This case report aimed to emphasize the importance of clinicians’ awareness of SRCC of the urinary bladder. The primary site of tumor origin was not identified as antemortem. The patient died 2 months after being admitted for pulmonary embolism. At autopsy, the urinary bladder was determined to be the primary site of the tumor. Primary SRCC of the urinary bladder is extremely rare. There are currently no established consensus guidelines for its management. Surgery continues to be the primary treatment option when the condition is localized.
Keywords
Cancer of unknown primary
Signet ring cell carcinoma
Urinary bladder carcinoma
Carcinocythemia
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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