Digital ischaemia as a presenting feature in metastatic ovarian cancer
A woman in her 50s presented with acute pain and discolouration in the fingertips of both hands, without other features of connective tissue disease. The history was otherwise significant for abdominal bloating, altered bowel habit, urinary urgency and fatigue. Inflammatory markers, antinuclear antibodies, serum protein electrophoresis and complement levels were all normal. The tumour marker CA125 was significantly elevated, prompting a CT abdomen and pelvis, which revealed a large right-sided adnexal mass with multiple enhancing peritoneal and omental nodules and moderate ascites, suggestive of disseminated primary ovarian cancer.
Digital ischaemia (DI) can be associated with cancer in up to 15% of cases. An underlying cancer should be suspected in patients presenting with new or worsening symptoms of DI. Prompt treatment with anticancer therapies can achieve complete resolution of DI.
