Apocrine gland adenoma and adenocarcinoma of the axilla

Abstract

Apocrine tumors from the axilla of 12 patients were studied clinically and pathologically. Based on histologic features, two tumors were classified as adenomas and ten as adenocarcinomas. All of the neoplasms were characterized by a glandular arrangement of large cells with abundant eosinophillic cytoplasm and evidence of decapitation secretion. The cytoplasm of the tumor cells contained PAS-positive, diastase-resistant granules. Intracytoplasmic particles of iron were demonstrable in three of ten tumors. Follow-up was available for all 12 patients. The two patients with apocrine adenoma are alive and well. Two patients with adenocarcinoma died of unrelated causes shortly after diagnosis. Of the remaining eight patients with adenocarcinoma, three have died of disease, and one is living with skeletal metastasis. A correlation appears to exist between tumor differentiation and prognosis.

Apocrine adenocarcinoma of the eyelid with aggressive biological behavior: Report of a case

“…Neither PASpositive nor iron-positive intracytoplasmic granules were demonstrated, probably reflecting the anaplastic nature of the neoplasm. 5,13 From the histopathological findings, melanocytic neoplasms, histiocytic neoplasms and oncocytoma or oncocytic adenocarcinoma were considered in the differential diagnosis. Melanocytic and histiocytic neoplasms were excluded by the histopathological finding of the formation of ductal structures by the tumor cells and also by the immunohistochemical profiles of the tumor cells, that is, the lack of immunoreactivity for the S-100 protein, HMB-45 and CD68.…”

“…[3][4][5] Although the number of reported cases of apocrine adenocarcinoma arising in the Moll's gland is too few to evaluate an exact prognosis, a correlation between the degree of differentiation of the tumor cells and the prognosis has been pointed out in apocrine adenocarcinoma of the skin and breast. 10,13 Our case showed anaplastic histopathological features and a relatively high Ki-67 labeling index (9.6%). Whereas studies on the Ki-67 labeling index of neoplastic cells have not been performed to date in cases of apocrine adenocarcinoma of the ocular region, the mean labeling index of apocrine adenocarcinoma arising in the breast was reported to be 15.0%, in contrast to 2.7% in benign apocrine lesions of the breast.…”

A Case of Ductal Apocrine Carcinoma in the Left Axilla with Tubular Apocrine Adenoma in the Right Axilla

“…There were no notable findings from chest roentgenography, breast and abdominal ultrasound imaging, upper and lower gastrointestinal tract endoscopy, gallium scinti-scanning, or abdominal and pelvic CT-scan. These findings confirmed the diagnosis of ductal apocrine carcinoma in the axilla (4)(5)(6). One year after the initial therapy, a red nodule measuring 7 × 7 × 1 mm appeared in the right axilla (Fig.…”

A Low Grade Scirrhous Carcinoma of Eccrine Gland Origin in Adolescence

“…The presence of cytokeratin 8 also suggests glandular differentiation (15-19), and the presence of S-100 protein suggests eccrine differentiation, because of the presence of this protein in normal eccrine gland and some eccrine tumors (18,(20)(21)(22). Apocrine differentiation is deniable in the present case because of the lack of definite decapitation secretion in the tumor cells (23)(24)(25). The absence of GCDFP-15 in the tumor also supports this interpretation.…”