Trabecular Carcinoma of the Skin

Five patients had trabecular carcinomas of the skin. The growths originate within the dermis or in the immediate subcutis, and display a uniform morphology. They are composed of solid trabeculae that lack definite acini. A derivation from cells that are capable of reproducing primitive sudoriferous structures is postulated. The lesions have been encountered in elderly patients of both sexes, and the larger tumors have disseminated actively by lymphatic pathways. Trabecular carcinomas may occasion diagnostic difficulty, for they may be misinterpreted as cutaneous metastases from visceral cancers. The histological features of these tumors are not sufficiently distinctive to permit differentiation from anaplastic metastatic carcinomas. Confirmation of their primary dermal origin is dependent upon the clinical outcome. Familiarity with their existence is, however, of importance in the evaluation of cutaneous malignancy.