Clinico-pathological Study of Skin Appendageal Tumours: An Experience at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Skin appendageal tumours (SATs) are uncommon tumours that differentiate towards one or more appendageal structures. Benign SATs are relatively common, while malignant tumours are rare. These are locally aggressive tumours, with malignant cases having a poor clinical outcome. Histopathology remains the gold standard in the diagnosis of SATs. Correct diagnosis of SATs is important for the appropriate management of patients. In the present study, we analyzed the epidemiological profile and histopathological features of benign and malignant SATs. A total of 30,200 biopsies from skin lesions were received from January 2011 to September 2021 in the department of pathology. Out of all the biopsies, 293 cases were diagnosed as SATs. The age ranged from 3 to 82 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.29:1. Tumours of sweat gland differentiation, i.e., both apocrine and eccrine, constituted the largest group with 43% (126/293) cases, followed by tumours showing follicular differentiation with 28.32% (83/293) cases, and tumours with sebaceous differentiation in 27.30% (80/293) cases. To conclude, skin appendageal tumours are an uncommon group of tumours. Since, these tumours have morphological overlap and are rare, the diagnosis is often a challenge for the pathologist.