Cutaneous Metastasis of Gallbladder Adenocarcinoma in a Patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT

Skin metastasis of primary gallbladder tumors is extremely rare with a reported incidence of 0.7~9% and it usually involves the thorax, abdomen, the extremities, neck, head region, and scalp. Cutaneous metastasis may occur synchronously or metatochronously. In the present case, the patient had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which was being treated with an alkylating agent (chlorambucil) when the patient developed skin metastasis from gallbladder adenocarcinoma during post- cholecystectomy follow-up. Given the fact that secondary malignancies occur in chronic lymphocytic leukemia; this clinical setting warrants attention. We aimed to discuss secondary malignancy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients and gallbladder adenocarcinoma with skin metastasis, based on a review of the literature and the presented case.