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Metastatic sweat gland carcinoma
Author(s) -
Fierstein Jeffrey T.,
Thawley Stanley E.,
Druck Norman S.,
Ogura Joseph H.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-197810000-00017
Subject(s) - sweat gland , medicine , scalp , carcinoma , metastasis , lymph , neck dissection , pathology , apocrine , metastatic carcinoma , eccrine sweat gland , sweat , cancer , dermatology
Abstract Only 48 cases of metastatic sweat gland carcinoma have been published. Our case report is of an elderly lady with a sweat gland carcinoma of the scalp with metastatic disease in the neck. She was treated with radical neck dissection and wide local excision. Follow‐up of three years has revealed no recurrence. The most common location of sweat gland carcinoma is on the scalp. The diagnosis of malignant non‐metastatic sweat gland carcinoma is difficult because there are no definite histologic criteria for diagnosing these tumors. Of the tumors that metastasize, most involve the regional lymph nodes. The differentiation between apocrine and eccrine metastatic sweat gland carcinoma is quite difficult and the criteria are not adequate to be of practical use. Sweat gland tumors may remain the same size for many years and then show a rapid period of growth followed by metastasis. Most metastases are in the regional lymph nodes, however, systemic disease does occur. Wide local excision of the primary tumor with resection of the involved regional lymph nodes is the recommended initial treatment. Prognosis of metastatic sweat gland carcinoma is poor although a few cases may have rather long survivals.