Benign chondroid syringoma with focal adipocytic metaplasia of the cheek

Chondroid syringoma (CS) is a rare skin adnexal tumour originating from sweat glands, sharing histological features with pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary gland. The usual site is the head and neck, and it preponderates in middle age with a male predominance. Accounting for fewer than 0.1% of all cutaneous tumours, CS is an uncommon and typically benign lesion. Its slow growth and non-specific appearance often lead to confusion with more common entities like epidermoid cysts or lipoma. We present the case of a female in her mid-60s with a painless swelling on her right cheek, slowly growing for the last 2 years. From its appearance, consistency and location, a clinical diagnosis of calcified lipoma was made. Excision, however, revealed a firm solid tumour having a biphasic histology of islands of epithelial cells admixed with a chondromyxoid stroma with focal adipocytic metaplasia. The patient was discharged without event and is being followed-up.