J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2014 Mar;55(3):432-436. 10.3341/jkos.2014.55.3.432.

A Case of Apocrine Adenocarcinoma of the Upper Eyelid

• Lim HB
• Kim KN
• Song GY
• Lee SB

• KMID: 2218275
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2014.55.3.432

Abstract

PURPOSE
To report a case involving an eyelid mass that was diagnosed as apocrine carcinoma.
CASE SUMMARY
A 52-year-old man visited our hospital with a recurrent mass on his right upper eyelid, which had developed 4 years prior. Initially, he received laser therapy at a dermatologic clinic to remove the mass. Two years later, the mass recurred and was excised at another clinic. At the time the patient visited our institution, the lesion had developed into multiple erythematous nodules at the margin of the right upper eyelid. The results of excisional biopsy performed under local anesthesia revealed hidradenoma papilliferum. One month after excision, recurred multiple elevated nodules were found at the margin of the excision, and thus total excision of the mass and reconstruction of the upper eyelid was performed. Biopsy confirmed that the mass was apocrine adenocarcinoma. Five months have passed since the excision and no evidence of recurrence has been observed.
CONCLUSIONS
Apocrine adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor of the sweat gland and is rarely found on the eyelid. Apocrine adenocarcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of recurrent eyelid mass at the eyelid margin.

Keyword

Apocrine adenocarcinoma; Eyelid mass

MeSH Terms

Acrospiroma
Adenocarcinoma*
Anesthesia, Local
Biopsy
Diagnosis, Differential
Eyelids*
Humans
Laser Therapy
Middle Aged
Recurrence
Sweat Glands

Figure

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  Figure 1. Clinical gross photograph of right eye showing the multiple erythematous nodules at the margin of right upper eyelid (A) and recurred nodules at 1 month after excisional biopsy (B).

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  Figure 2. (A) Intraluminal papillary growth of apocrine gland epithelium with stratification and lymphatic spreading in the first biopsy. (B) High power view of lymphatic invasion of the tumor cell nests. (C) The same tumor is noted in the second biopsy and (D) High power views of the stratified carcinoma cells. (A) H&E, ×40, (B) ×200, (C) ×10, (D) ×400.

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  Figure 3. Immunohistochemical stain against CK7 and GCDFP-15 reveals that tumor cells show strongly positive both CK7 and GCDFP-15 in first and second biopsy tissue sections. CK7 (A, ×200) and GCDFP (B, ×200) stain in first biopsy and CK7 (C, ×200) and GCDFP-15 (D, ×200) in second biopsy.

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  Figure 4. There is no evidence of recurrence at the 5 months after total mass excision and eyelid reconstruction.

Reference

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