Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva mimicking primary varicella-zoster virus infection

Abstract

We present a case of metastatic vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) mimicking a primary varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-like eruption. Although rare, a number of cutaneous metastases have been reported in a zosteriform pattern including solid malignancies (breast, colon, lung, and bladder), hematologic malignancies (B-cell lymphoma, T-cell lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma), and cutaneous malignancies, most notably melanoma. There are 7 published cases of metastatic SCC arising as a zosteriform eruption, but we present an unusual case that mimics primary varicella eruption both morphologically and histologically.