Multiple adnexal tumors and a parotid basal cell adenoma

A 72-year-old woman had a preauricular mass and several scalp nodules. Her medical history included excisions of multiple cutaneous tumors, including cylindromas, trichoepitheliomas, basal cell epitheliomas, and a trichilemmoma. The parotid mass and a scalp nodule were excised. On light microscopy, the parotid mass and scalp nodule appeared similar. Ultrastructural features revealed by electron microscopic analysis of the tumors allowed diagnosis of a cylindroma of the scalp and a parotid basal cell adenoma. The association of trichilemmoma and membranous basal cell adenoma of the parotid has not been previously described. The pathogenesis of these multiple cutaneous tumors from a common cell of origin is considered.