A Case of Adenosquamous Carcinoma of the Posterior Occipital Scalp

Abstract

Primary cutaneous adenosquamous carcinomas are very rare with only few published reports. The histopathologic finding consists of two different components -mucin secreting cells (adenocarcinoma) and squamous cells (squamous cell carcinoma). We experienced a case of occipital scalp adenosquamous carcinoma, which is an extremely rare neoplasm in scalp. The lesion is histologically distinctive because of the presence of mixed areas of unequivocal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. It is found that combined surgery and additional radiation therapy is necessary because the biological behavior and prognosis of this neoplasm are considered as more aggressive and worse than that of conventional squamous cell carcinoma.