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Digital Papillary Carcinoma: A Literature Review of Epidemiology, Management Strategies, and Patient Outcomes
William Liu1, Rahul Nanda2, David Zloty3
1Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Background:
Digital papillary carcinoma (DPC) is a rare tumor arising from the sweat glands, often occurring in the digits of the hands or feet with metastatic potential.
Objective:
To present a literature review of the epidemiology, management modalities, disease progression, and outcome data on DPC.
Methods:
Using the OVID platform, MEDLINE and Embase were searched for studies providing original data on DPC.
Results:
A total of 155 cases of DPC from 81 articles were included. No case of recurrence was reported after Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) ( n = 3), 28% of cases had recurrence after excision ( n = 46), 29% of cases had recurrence after amputation ( n = 24), and 67% with biopsy alone ( n = 3). Majority of DPCs were located on the right side of the body (68%) within the upper extremities (75%). The third finger of the hand was most affected (37%) compared to the other digits.
Conclusion:
No clear consensus on the optimal management of DPC has emerged. Excision and amputation have shown comparable recurrence rates. MMS may be a viable treatment but was based on a small sample size. Majority of DPC cases are nonrecurring and nonmetastatic, with low reported rates of death. Ultimately, more comprehensive data are needed to establish optimal treatment guidelines for DPC.
