title: Sweat gland carcinoma with metastases to the skin: response to 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy.
abstract: A 68-year-old white man presented to the inpatient service at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital with a chief complaint of a progressively enlarging tumor of the right infraorbital region for many years and multiple, pink papulonodules on his head, neck, and trunk. A biopsy specimen of the right infraorbital and back lesions demonstrated an infiltrating adenocarcinoma with prominent signet ring cells, and small lumen formation. Results of an extensive work-up revealed bone marrow metastases and no evidence of a primary malignancy. We present a case of primary sweat gland carcinoma with metastases to the skin based upon history, clinical presentation, results of physical examination, histopathologic examination, immunohistochemical studies, and response to 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy. Due to the rarity of the tumor, the diagnosis is usually not made until the tumor(s) is invasive. An excellent response to systemic chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil in metastatic sweat gland carcinoma was noted in this case.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bellman
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silvers
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Fountain
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001855:Bone Marrow Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012535:Scalp / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D013544:Sweat Gland Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005472:Fluorouracil