Muir-Torre Syndrome: A Case Associated with an Infrequent Gene Mutation

Muir-Torre syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant genodermatosis characterized by the presence of at least one sebaceous gland neoplasm, associated with an underlying visceral malignancy. Muir-Torre syndrome is believed to be a subtype of Lynch Syndrome. Affected individuals are found to have germline mutations predominantly in DNA mismatch repair gene MSH2, and much less frequently, MLH1. The authors report the case of a 55-year-old woman presenting with multiple cutaneous neoplasms including sebaceoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma; personal history of colorectal and endometrial cancer; and family history of colorectal cancer; found to have a deletion at mismatch repair gene MLH1. It is important to recognize the role of these less common gene deletions in producing the Muir-Torre syndrome phenotype, and consider the correlation of cutaneous manifestations with internal disease. The authors discuss the clinical presentation of Muir-Torre syndrome, methods of diagnosis, and the importance of regular medical surveillance to detect and prevent disease progression in Muir-Torre syndrome patients and their family members.