Beyond the Surface: Sister Mary Joseph's Nodule in Metastatic Gallbladder Cancer: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract Sister Mary Joseph's nodule (SMJN) is an umbilical nodule occurring because of metastasis of the abdomen and pelvic malignancies. It is a rare physical finding, reported in nearly 3% of patients with gastrointestinal or gynecological cancers. The majority of cases presents at a very advanced stage of the disease, and often results in dismal prognosis. Here, we report the case of a 54-year-old woman with metastatic gallbladder cancer, presenting with SMJN. The patient declined chemotherapeutic intervention following the cancer diagnosis and later arrived with an umbilical nodule, which was identified as SMJN. The patient was advised to take a gemcitabine-cisplatin regimen, but opted solely for palliative care and passed away within a few weeks of SMJN diagnosis. This case report emphasizes how an untreated malignancy can advance quickly and present as an unusual clinical sign. Drawing the attention of health care professionals to this clinical sign will eventually help in the early detection of disease progression and its management to improve survival outcomes.