Clinical Features:

• Rare benign tumor with a predilection for the scalp, cheek, axilla and breast
• Most common in adults, with a female predominance
• Sometimes associated with an organoid nevus or syringocystadenoma papilliferum
• Presents as a slowly growing, well-circumscribed dermal or subcutaneous nodule

Histologic Features:

• Well-circumscribed dermal or occasionally subcutaneous nodule which may communicate with the epidermis
• Composed of variably-sized tubules lined by two or more layers of apocrine-type cells: cuboidal to columnar with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and uniform round to oval nuclei
• Some of the cells show decapitation secretion and an outer myoepithelial layer is focally present.
• Many cases show cyst formation with papillae or pseudopapillae protruding into the lumen.
• Dense fibrous stroma which contains few inflammatory cells, in contrast to syringocystadenoma papilliferum
• The luminal surface is strongly positive for EMA and CEA.

Cases associated with this book:

Apocrine adenoma
Author: Artur Zembowicz M.D. Ph.D.

Conference: Dr. Z's Consultations