Case Report

Inflammatory Arthritis Secondary to Metastatic Gastric Cancer

SAMY K. METYAS, CHRISTOPHER A. LUM, ANWAR S. RAZA, MARINA VAYSBURD, DEBORAH M. FORRESTER, and FRANCISCO P. QUISMORIO Jr

ABSTRACT.

Metastatic spread of malignancy to the joints is rare and only a few cases of solid tumors have been reported. We describe a patient with inflammatory arthritis of the knee and ankle secondary to metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma to the joints and bone diagnosed by synovianalysis. Arthritis secondary to metastatic cancer is a poor prognostic sign. The diagnosis is based on a strong clinical suspicion, magnetic resonance imaging, and joint fluid cytology or synovial biopsy. (J Rheumatol 2003;30:2713-5)

Key Indexing Terms:

METASTASIS
CANCER
STOMACH
CYTOLOGY
ARTHRITIS
JOINT EFFUSION

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From the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, and the Departments of Pathology, Oncology, and Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.

S.K. Metyas, MD, Fellow in Rheumatology; C.A.S. Raza, MD, Assistant Professor of Pathology; M. Vaysburd, MD, Fellow in Oncology; D.M. Forrester, MD, Professor of Radiology; F.P. Quismorio Jr, MD, Professor of Medicine and Pathology, Keck School of Medicine; C.A. Lum, MD, Resident in Pathology, USC Medical Center.

Address reprint requests to Dr. F.P. Quismorio Jr, Division of Rheumatology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2015 Zonal Avenue, HMR-715, Los Angeles, CA 90033.

Submitted January 8, 2003; revision accepted April 29, 2003.

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