REVIEW

Skin adnexal neoplasms—part 2: An approach to tumours of cutaneous sweat glands

Nidal A Obaidat, Khaled O Alsaad, Danny Ghazarian

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto and University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Correspondence to:
Dr D Ghazarian
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto and Ontario, Canada M5G 2M9; danny.ghazarian{at}uhn.on.ca

Tumours of cutaneous sweat glands are uncommon, with a wide histological spectrum, complex classification and many different terms often used to describe the same tumour. Furthermore, many eccrine/apocrine lesions coexist within hamartomas or within lesions with composite/mixed differentiation. In addition to the eccrine and apocrine glands, two other skin sweat glands have recently been described: the apoeccrine and the mammary-like glands of the anogenital area. In this review (the second of two articles on skin adnexal neoplasms), common as well as important benign and malignant lesions of cutaneous sweat glands are described, and a summary for differentiating primary adnexal neoplasms from metastatic carcinoma is outlined, striving to maintain a common and acceptable terminology in this complex subject. Composite/mixed adnexal tumours are also discussed briefly.

Abbreviations: ACC, adenoid cystic carcinoma; CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen; EMA, epithelial membrane antigen; EMPD, extramammary Paget’s disease; GCDFP-15, gross cystic disease fluid protein 15; HMB45, HMWK, high molecular weight keratin; LMWK, low molecular weight keratin; MAC, microcystic adnexal carcinoma; NSJ, nevus sebaceous of Jadassohn; PAS, periodic acid Schiff; PCMC, primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma; PEA, papillary eccrine adenoma; SCAP, syringocystadenoma papilliferum; SMA, smooth muscle actin, TAA, tubular apocrine adenoma

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