Eccrine adenocarcinoma of the vulva producing isolated alpha-subunit of glycoprotein hormones.
A rare case of adenocarcinoma of the sweat glands of the vulva producing isolated alpha-subunit of glycoprotein hormones is reported. By an immunohistochemical method, eccrine gland adenocarcinoma tissues obtained from the right vulva and from its metastatic lesion in the right subclavicular lymph nodes were found to react with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), alpha-hCG but not beta-hCG. The concentrations of alpha-subunit in the serum and urine were markedly elevated to 6000 ng/mL and 55,000 ng/mL, respectively, just before the death of the patient.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009384:Paraneoplastic Endocrine Syndromes / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013544:Sweat Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin