Skin nonmelanocytic tumor

Adnexal tumors

Sweat gland derived (apocrine & eccrine glands)

Sweat gland carcinoma



Last author update: 1 June 2012
Last staff update: 6 November 2020

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PubMed Search: Sweat gland carcinoma [title]

Christopher S. Hale, M.D.
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Cite this page: Hale CS. Sweat gland carcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/skintumornonmelanocyticsweatglandcarcinoma.html. Accessed November 27th, 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
Negative stains
Differential diagnosis
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