Sebaceous Carcinoma: A Case Study on Diagnosis and Treatment

SEBACEOUS CARCINOMA
NAME
INSTITUTION
TUTOR
DATE

ABSTRACT
Objective: To describe the case of sebaceous carcinoma in a 75 year old patient who
presented with a swelling on the cheek.
Case summary: The case study was on a 75 year old man who presented with a
hyperkeratotic papule on the left cheek with keratin core that had been present for six months.
Perioperative diagnosis on the skin of the left zygoma indicated sebaceous carcinoma. Histologic
sections indicated skin with unremarkable epidermis. There was also proliferation of the
sebaceous lobules which had basaloid keratinocytes at the periphery and it showed sebaceous
differentiation at their centers. A subset of the neoplastic cells show mature sebaceous
differentiation. On immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells expressed nuclear factor XIIIa, EMA
and P63 and they were negative for CK20.
Discussion: Sebaceous carcinoma develop in any sebaceous gland whose function is
lubricating the skin. However, it mostly begins around the eyelids. In this case study, the cancer
developed at the left cheek of the patient and this is why this case was of particular interest. This
type of cancer if diagnosed early and treated, it is usually successful but can turn out to be deadly
if spreads rapidly. This type of cancer sometimes appear in the form of a sty and that is why
majority delay the diagnosis and this leads to death .It is therefore important that one makes an
appointment whenever they note any growth or swelling on the eye.
Conclusion: Sebaceous carcinoma is a very type of skin cancer that mostly attacks the
eyelids leading to swelling. It can be diagnosed through skin examination as well as microscopic
examination of biopsies that reveal certain features. Treatment is either through surgery or Mohr
surgery and radiotherapy.

INTRODUCTION
Sebaceous carcinoma is a type of skin cancer. This condition is however very rare. It is
sometimes known as aggressive sebaceous carcinoma due to its ability to spread. It mostly attack
the eyelids. This form of cancer usually begin as a form lump on the eyelids1 .As the cancer
proceeds, there is bleeding or oozing from the eyelids. When it occurs on other parts of the body,
the appearance is usually yellowish lumps which may also bleed2. In this assignment, there will
be description of a case study in which a patient was suffering from sebaceous carcinoma.
1 A Acosta et al, (2018) Sebaceous carcinoma of the breast in a patient with a pathogenic BRCA2 (886delGT)
mutation - focus on histopathologic and immunohistochemical features. APMIS, 126(4),
353-356.doi:10.1111/apm.12826
2 J Brewer et al, (2016). Effect of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma on Survival in Patients With Malignant Fibrous
Histiocytoma, Kaposi Sarcoma, and Sebaceous Carcinoma. Dermatologic Surgery, 42, S32-
S39. doi:10.1097/dss.0000000000000520