Urachal remnant carcinoma - a rare entity

Abstract

Primary malignancy of the urachal remnant is a rare neoplasm that accounts for less than 0.01% of all adult cancers, with an estimated annual incidence of 1:5 million. The tumour carries a grave prognosis that attests to its highly aggressive nature. Owing to its extra-peritoneal location, the tumour runs a relatively silent clinical course until late presentation, when most patients display extensive local invasion and metastatic spread. In this report, we highlight a case of primary malignancy of the urachus that on initial clinical evaluation masqueraded as a Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule. Characteristic imaging features, however, proved decisive in establishing the diagnosis of a urachal carcinoma.