Advanced Cutaneous Scalp Eccrine Adenocarcinoma, Diagnosis and Treatment Challenges: A Case Report

Abstract

In Madagascar, a country with a tropical climate; skin cancers are often of epidermal or melanic origin. Adnexal tumors are no t well known. We report the first case of an eccrine tumor in a 57-year-old woman with no personal or family history of cancer. She has no comorbidities. The patient presented with a 50 × 60 mm frontal swelling and an ulcerative lesion of the left half of the face that had been evolving for 5 months. The cerebral and cervical CT scan revealed bone lysis of the vault of the skull and left cervical lymphadenopathy. The CT chest-abdomen-pelvis showed no abnormal lesions. The mammogram was normal. The result of the pathological examination was in favor of a round - cell tumor. The AE1/AE3, CK7 and P63 markers were positive in the immunohistochemical study. The diagnosis of an advanced eccrine ade nocarcinoma was retained after the exclusion of a visceral adenocarcinoma with cutaneous metastasis. The patient receives radiotherapy of 40 Gy in 20 fractions followed by 6 courses of Carboplatin-paclitaxel type chemotherapy. The lesion has decreased in size and dried up after these treatments. 3 months after stopping treatment for lack of financial means, the patient died at home. The diagnosis of an adnexal tumor requires more in-depth complementary examinations. Treatments should be multidisciplinary and adapted to each patient.