Lymphoepitelioma-like carcinoma of the skin: report of three cases

Primary cutaneous lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is an extremely rare cutaneous neoplasm with histopathological features similar to those seen in the undifferentiated subtype of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Microscopically, the tumor is well circumscribed and is composed of irregular nests of malignant epithelial cells in a background of reactive lymphoid cells including mature plasma cells. Its histogenesis remains unknown although an adnexal or epidermic origin has been proposed, and despite its poorly differentiated histology, the LELC prognosis is relatively good. We describe three new cases of this entity that support an epidermic origin.