Skin nonmelanocytic tumor
Adnexal tumors
Sweat gland derived (apocrine & eccrine glands)
Sweat gland carcinoma
Author: Christopher S. Hale, M.D.
Last author update: 1 June 2012
Last staff update: 6 November 2020
Copyright: 2002-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Sweat gland carcinoma [title]
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Microscopic (histologic) description | Positive stains | Negative stains | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Hale CS. Sweat gland carcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/skintumornonmelanocyticsweatglandcarcinoma.html. Accessed April 18th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Uncommon
- Usually adults
- Difficult to diagnose
- May be life threatening
Low grade:
- Microcystic carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma, extramammary Paget’s disease, mucoepidermoid carcinoma
Intermediate grade:
- Ductal adenocarcinoma, aggressive digital papillary adenocarcinoma, acrospirocarcinoma
High grade:
- Porocarcinoma, clear cell acrospirocarcinoma
Unknown grade:
- Signet ring cell carcinoma, papillary syringadenocarcinoma
- Also includes adenoid cystic carcinoma, apocrine carcinoma, malignant acrospiroma, malignant chondroid syringoma (malignant mixed tumor), malignant dermal cylindroma, malignant eccrine poroma (most common), malignant myoepithelioma, malignant syringoma (syringoid eccrine carcinoma), mucinous syringometaplasia
- Benign sweat gland tumors can also undergo malignant transformation to high grade carcinoma
Microscopic (histologic) description
- May resemble breast carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma
Positive stains
Negative stains
Differential diagnosis
- Metastatic breast carcinoma
- Renal cell carcinoma
