Primary apocrine adenocarcinoma of the axilla

Primary apocrine adenocarcinoma (AA) is a rare malignant cutaneous neoplasm that typically arises in areas of high apocrine gland density such as the axillae and the anogenital region. Due to the nonspecific clinical manifestation of AA, the differential diagnosis may be broad. The rarity of this neoplasm has led to a relative lack of well-established histologic and immunohistochemical diagnostic criteria, further complicating the diagnosis of AA. We report the case of a 49-year-old man with primary AA of the left axilla and provide a review of the clinical and histologic findings, epidemiology, and treatment modalities of this rare cutaneous neoplasm.