A rare soft tissue tumour: Eccrine spiradenoma

Abstract

Aim: Eccrine spiradenoma is a rare soft tissue tumor that originates from the eccrine sweat glands. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of our patients who underwent surgery for eccrine spiradenoma.

Material-Methods: Nine patients who underwent surgery for eccrine spiradenoma between January 2006 and July 2011 were reviewed in detail to obtain information regarding clinical and histopathological features retrospectively. All patients' age, gender, symptomts and duration, mass localization, surgical findings, pathology reports, postoperative complications and follow-up data were recorded.

Results: There were 3 (33.3%) male/ 6 (66.7%) female patients with a median age 37,7 ± 14,8 (24-75) years in the study group. The pathology report of 8 patients was benign, while one was malignant. The patient with malign eccrine spiradenoma was a 75 year-old female. All patients presented with a palpable mass (100%) and 5 of them (55%) had also pain and tenderness. The average duration of complaints was 8.6 years (3-15 years). The masses were localized in back in the thoracic spine in 3 patients, on the scapula in 2, on an arm in 2 and on the right lateral neck in 1 case. The malign mass was located in the haired skin of the patient. All masses were excised with a clean surgical margin. No recurrence was detected at a median follow-up period of 31.8 months.

Conclusion: Eccrine spiradenoma should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of the soft tissue masses of the skin. Radical surgical excision should be planned due to the risk of malignancy and recurrence.