Facial papules as a marker of internal malignancy.

Facial papules (bumps) confront the general practitioner during every face-to-face meeting with the patient. Increased awareness and recognition of the facial papules that represent cutaneous signs of internal malignancy will allow an early, aggressive workup and treatment of any associated cancer. This article details the clinical presentation, etiology, pathologic findings, and associated malignancy for such presentations. A skin biopsy for histopathologic diagnosis is necessary to distinguish these clues to underlying malignancy from the numerous benign lesions that cause facial papules.