The Muir-Torre syndrome: a disease of sebaceous and colonic neoplasms

The Muir-Torre syndrome of sebaceous neoplasms of the skin, with or without keratoacanthomas, and multiple low-grade visceral malignancies with prolonged survival is a rare disorder. Colonic polyps are frequently present, and the syndrome appears to be familial. We report 2 unrelated patients with the Muir-Torre syndrome. Each case exhibited sebaceous adenomas. Gastrointestinal findings included colonic adenocarcinomas and a tubulovillous adenoma. Although an unusual disease, the Muir-Torre syndrome requires recognition because these patients are at risk for multiple primary malignancies and may have family members also at risk.