Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule in nursing practice – significance of the symptom and the role of nursing personnel in its detection

Wojciech Kapała

doi:10.5114/.2025.157939

eISSN: 2084-9850
ISSN: 1897-3116

Pielęgniarstwo Chirurgiczne i Angiologiczne/Surgical and Vascular Nursing

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4/2025
vol. 19

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abstract:

Review paper

Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule in nursing practice – significance of the symptom and the role of nursing personnel in its detection

Wojciech Kapała

¹

Wyższa Szkoła Zdrowia, Urody i Edukacji, Poznań, PolskaMedyczne Studium Zawodowe, Wielkopolskie Samorządowe Centrum Kształcenia Zawodowego i Ustawicznego nr 1, Poznań, Polska

Pielęgniarstwo Chirurgiczne i Angiologiczne 2025; 19(4): 141–145

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/.2025.157939

Online publish date: 2025/12/30

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Introduction
The aim of the study is to present the Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule as an important clinical symptom, to discuss its characteristics, frequency of occurrence, primary locations of tumors metastasizing to the umbilicus, differential diagnosis and prognosis.

Material and methods
This is a review paper. Available scientific literature on the Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule, its pathogenesis, diagnostics, clinical significance and the role of the nurse in its diagnosis was analyzed.

Results
The Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule is a rare but clinically important symptom of metastasis to the umbilicus, often indicating an advanced neoplastic process in the abdominal or pelvic cavity. The prognosis in patients with the Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule is usually unfavorable, and the average survival time is short.

Conclusions
The Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule is an important alarm signal that should prompt a thorough oncological diagnostics.

keywords:

Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule in nursing practice – significance of the symptom and the role of nursing personnel in its detection

Wojciech Kapała 1

physical examination, abdominal neoplasms, Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule, umbilical metastases

Wojciech Kapała

¹