Extraocular sebaceous carcinoma of the skin with visceral metastases: case report

Extraocular sebaceous gland carcinomas of the skin are uncommon neoplasms that may recur locally, but in contrast to their ocular counterparts infrequently metastasize. A case is reported in which a 62-year-old woman had a 1 cm scalp tumor incompletely excised. Microscopic examination revealed a sebaceous carcinoma. No further surgical treatment was performed and 31 months after diagnosis the patient presented with regional and distant metastases resulting in death. It is emphasized that extraocular sebaceous carcinoma may behave in a biologically aggressive manner, just as their counterparts arising in the ocular adnexae, and the necessity to ensure complete tumor excision is stressed.