Neoplastic involvement of terminal digits masquerading clinically as benign disease.

Two patients with primary and four with metastatic distal phalangeal lesions in whom a wrong diagnosis of benign disease was initially made are presented with a brief review of the literature and a discussion of the clinico-radiographic features. Primary phalangeal lesions may be either epidermoid carcinoma or malignant melanoma are are often confused with paronychia, while most metastatic lesions are due to pulmonary or breast cancer and simulate a felon clinically. Primary nail bed lesions are characterized radiographically by external cortical erosions; metastatic lesions tend to show a diffuse demineralization and extensive destruction of the whole digit.

Cutaneous lymphangiosarcoma of Stewart-Treves.

Lymphangiosarcoma of an edematous extremity is a highly malignant cutaneous neoplasm seen most often ten years after a successful radical mastectomy. The sarcoma presents with an ecchymosis and/or purplish cutaneous nodules on the edematous arm; it spreads through the bloodstream and is fatal in most cases. A case is presented which shows some typical and some unusual features of this disease.