A Rare Case of Chest Wall Hidradenocarcinoma: A Case Report

Hidradenocarcinoma is an extremely rare eccrine gland tumor that comprises less than 0.001% of all tumors, and less than 0.01% of cutaneous tumors. The most common locations for hidradenocarcinoma include the head, upper extremity, and the superior trunk above the nipple line-T4 dermatome, presenting either as solid or cystic subcutaneous nodules with associated pruritus or ulceration. With fewer than 50 cases reported in the United States, a minority of these select cases involve lesions located within the chest and pectoral regions.

Methods or Case Description:

We present an extremely rare case of a right anterior inframammary chest wall hiradenocarcinoma in a 52-yo female, not otherwise described in literature. Following surgical removal and pathological identification, the patient was referred to oncology to complete a PET/CT and tumor marker analysis. At three month follow up she remains disease free.

Outcomes:

A number of tumor markers have been assessed, however there is a wide variation of prevalence without correlation to accurately recommend treatment plans or recurrence probability. There are no definitive studies or data to support specific treatment of this disease. However, due to moderately high local recurrence rates and lymphatic metastasis, a commonly followed treatment includes wide surgical excision with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Conclusion: Each individual case of hidradenocarcinoma, regardless of location, must be identified and evaluated on a case-by-case basis for appropriate treatment and management planning. Further research should be conducted to identify a more cohesive classification of hidradenocarcinoma subsets with detailed delineation of genetic mutations and tumor markers. From this collection and categorization of information we may then be able to draw more appropriate conclusions regarding appropriate treatments and management based on hidradenocarcinoma location, severity, and propensity for metastasis and recurrence.