Postauricular sebaceous carcinoma arising in association with nevus sebaceus

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sebaceous carcinoma is an uncommon malignant neoplasm usually associated with the ocular adnexa. Despite the widespread anatomic distribution of sebaceous glands, extraocular sebaceous carcinoma occurs with far less frequency. METHODS: A 27-year-old man was examined with the presenting complaint of a slowly enlarging subcutaneous mass. It was associated with an overlying, irregular, verrucoid epidermal plaque. RESULTS: Histologic and electron microscopic examination of the mass revealed a malignant sebaceous neoplasm occurring in conjunction with an overlying nevus sebaceus. The dermal neoplasm contained numerous cytoplasmic and stromal hyaline globules. CONCLUSIONS: We report a case of extraocular sebaceous carcinoma arising in the postauricular region in association with a nevus sebaceus and exhibiting the unusual histologic feature of hyaline globules.