Metastatic arthropathy report of two cases and review of the literature.

Metastatic arthropathy has been rarely reported as a manifestation of solid tumors. It is characterized by a monoarticular involvement and is frequently the first feature of the malignant process; therefore, it may pose a diagnostic challenge. We report two new cases of metastatic carcinomatous arthritis: a patient with right-knee monoarthritis as a presenting feature of pancreatic carcinoma and another one with right-elbow monoarthritis, preceded by constitutional and pulmonary symptoms, secondary to metastasis of undifferentiated carcinoma. We also review the literature for well documented cases of metastatic arthropathy secondary to solid tumors. Metastatic arthropathy indicates a poor prognosis because of a wide spread of the tumor when it is diagnosed. We emphasize the need for increasing awareness of cancer as a cause of monoarthritis.