Primary mucinous (adenocystic) carcinoma of the skin

A Case of Primary Mucinous Carcinoma of the Scalp Treated With Mohs Surgery

“…The median age at onset is 63 years, but the tumor has been reported in an 8‐year‐old boy and an 84‐year‐old man 2,3 . To date, approximately 140 cases have been reported 1–65 . Males are affected more than twice as often as females, and the incidence of this neoplasm appears to be slightly higher in blacks than in whites 4 .…”

“…Approximately 40% involve the eyelid, the most frequent site of involvement, with half of these cases involve the lower eyelid. The tumor may also appear on the cheek, 2,3,29,42 nose, 24 or chin, 2,3,25 and involvement of the abdomen, 2,23 axilla, 2,11,12,18,19,22,26–28 vulva, 19,21,23,40 groin, 20,24 foot, 2,8,58 chest, 2 and neck 14,24 has also been reported. The tumor varies in appearance from a translucent raised mass, with a tan, gray, pink, or blue hue, to a subcutaneous mass with a soft to firm consistency.…”

“…The treatment of choice for primary mucinous carcinoma of the skin has traditionally been local excision. In the few cases that reported surgical margins, margins ranged from 0.2 to 2.0 cm 6,7,14,15 None of these cases was associated with recurrence. However, in three of five cases that were reportedly treated with “wide” margins, and for which follow‐up information was provided, the tumor recurred, 8,22,31 despite histologically clear margins 22 .…”

From the Histopathologic Reference Slide Collection of the American Society of Dermatopathology

“…Primary mucinous (adenocystic) carcinoma of skin represents a low grade sweat gland tumor which typically involves the face or scalp 1–3 . The clinical appearance is frequently an ovoid elevated reddish mass showing slow growth, and with few associated symptoms.…”

Primary Mucinous Carcinoma

“…Other presentations include ulcerating or nonul‐cerating pink, gray, or blue plaques or nodules, with or without telangiectasias 1 . The clinical differential of mucinous carcinoma includes sebaceous cyst, sebaceous carcinoma, hemangioma, cystic basal cell carcinoma, lipoma, melanoma, neuroma, 4 metastatic carcinoma, 9 lacrimal sac tumor, 4 pyogenic granuloma, Kaposi's sarcoma, chalazion, hordeolum, squamous cell carcinoma, and piloma‐trixoma 3 . An alleged clue to eyelid sweat gland tumors is their superficial location and early cystic appearance 10 …”