Sebaceous carcinoma of the face following irradiation

Malignant neoplasms of sebaceous glands are uncommon but generally occur about the head and neck, where these glands are concentrated. The sites of most frequent occurrence are the ocular adnexae, where sebaceous carcinoma presents as an infiltrating malignancy with a poor prognosis. Cutaneous sebaceous carcinoma is rare at other sites but has a better prognosis. We have located eight cases in the literature of sebaceous carcinoma arising in a previously irradiated field: five in the ocular adnexae and three elsewhere on the face. We here report a fourth case of recurrent sebaceous carcinoma with metastases that occurred on the face of an 82-year-old woman who had received radiation to the area for cosmetic epilation 35 years previously.