Metastasizing Sweat-Gland Carcinoma

Metastatic Eccrine Sweat Gland Carcinoma: Case Report

“…SGC is most frequent in the sixth and seventh de cade of life, however, it may also occur in children. Although female predominance has been claimed, its incidence is probably equal in males and females [1][2][3]6], It gener ally grows slowly and is often present for years before diagnosis is made, but some cases may show a rapid course of a few months [1][2][3][5][6][7], Clinical differentiation from a variety of benign and malignant skin tumors, such as hemangiomas, keloids, der matofibromas, cysts, lymphomas, and squamous cell carcinomas, is extremely difficult, thus histological examination is al ways required for diagnosis [3,5,7].…”

“…Le sions tend to be firm, often fixed to the un derlying tissue and may ulcerate [1][2][3][4][5][6], Le sions arise on normal or on previously ir radiated skin [6], particularly on the scalp, neck region and upper extremities, but are found also elsewhere in the skin [1][2][3][4][5][6]. SGC is most frequent in the sixth and seventh de cade of life, however, it may also occur in children.…”

“…The variability of the histological fea tures of SGC even in the same tumor (so that multiple sections are needed to demonstrate histological features of malignancy) and its rarity have contributed to a certain confu sion regarding the classification of SGC [1][2][3][4][5][6].…”

“…En zymatic histochemical investigations for 'eccrine enzymes' (including succinic de hydrogenase and amylophosphorylase) and electromicroscopic studies have been shown to be of limited help in differentiating SGC from metastases or primary skin tumors [4,6,8,9,13], Recently, carcinoembryonic anti gen has been reported to be of aid in the dis tinction from basal and squamous cell carci nomas, from melanomas, and in conjunc tion with the stain for S-100 protein in the differentiation from adnexal carcinomas of pilar origin [6,16], Prognosis is mainly influenced by the histological cell type and lymph node in volvement [3,7,10]. SGC displaying high grade undifferentiated and anaplastic areas, such as the classic type, show a high inci dence of local recurrence and metastatic spread to various organs (lungs, bone, liver as well as to regional lymph nodes) with a low 5-year survival rate [1,3], Wide local excision of primary lesions is thought to be the treatment of choice [1-3, 5-7, 9]. Radiotherapy is usually ineffective, however control of local recurrence and responses to high rad-doses have been described [2,3,5,6,[9][10][11]13].…”

Aggressive digital papillary adenoma and adenocarcinoma. A clinicopathological study of 57 patients, with histochemical, immunopathological, and ultrastructural observations

“…As in their benign counterparts, the histologic features of these tumors often overlap; and their classification is therefore not uniform. The terms "sweat glatid carcinoma" (29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35), "adenocarcinoma of the eccrine sweat gland" (36, 37), "inetastasizing eccrine sweat gland carcinoma" (38)(39)(40)(41), and "epidermotrophic eccrine carcinoma" (42) have beeti applied. More specific terms: "porosyringocarcinoma" (43); "clear cell hidradenocarcinoma" (7,44); "mucinous (adenocystic) carcinoma ofthe skin" (45); "primary mucinons sweat gland adenocarcinoma" (46); "primary adenoid cystic carcitioma of the skin" (47); "eccrine porocarcinoma" (9,48,49); "malignant clear cell acrospiroma" (17); "malignant hidroacanthoma simplex" (50); "syringoid eccrine carcinoma" (51); "malignant transformation of eccrine spiradenoma" (18); "carcinoma arising in eccrine spiradenoma" (19); and "malignant chondroid syringoma" (20); were also encountered in the literature.…”