Abstract
Background: Eccrine porocarcinoma is a very rare tumor of eccrine sweat gland origin.
Case: A 85-year-old female was found to have a tumor in the buttock during treatment for the fracture of her left thigh. Despite treatment, the tumor continued to increase in size. A diagnostic biopsy was performed. Under the diagnosis of eccrine porocarcinoma she was admitted to the department of plastic surgery. The imprint cytology of the tumor revealed two different cellular components: small-sized cells and medium-to large-sized cells. The small-sized cells had round nuclei, a granular chromatin pattern and narrow light -green stained cytoplasms which formed large dense cell clusters. The medium to large-sized cells presented as isolated cells or in sparse cell clusters. These tumor cells had a fine granular chromatin pattern, distinct one or multiple nucleoli, and thick light-green stained cytoplasm. The latter sometimes showed a signet-ring form or were multinucleated. On histological examination, small sized round tumor cells infiltrated into the zone of the mid-reticular dermis, and sometimes more deeply into the deep dermis. Medium to large-sized tumor cells intervened among the cell nests made up of small-sized tumor cells.
Conclusions: Identification of two different cellular components besides the location of the tumor was thought to be useful for making a correct diagnosis of eccrine porocarcinoma.
