Fox-Fordyce disease on the peristernal region: a rare and atypical case

Abstract

Syringomas are benign tumors of cutaneous appendages of eccrine or apocrine origin affecting approximately 1% of the population. They mainly occur in women and they commonly manifest as soft skin-colored or slightly yellowish papules on the lower eyelid and the upper part of the cheeks. More rarely, syringomas can even occur on the neck, the armpits, the breasts, the lower portion of the abdomen, the thighs and the groin. Clinically, they can be distinguished from xanthelasmas, warts or cancers because they are monomorphic and have a regular distribution. In doubtful cases, the diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy. Syringomas can be easily detected on histological examination due to the presence of comma-shaped sweat ducts in the dermis. Even though syringomas are benign tumors, their appearance can be embarrassing to the patients. Therapeutic options, mainly supported by small case series and case reports, include surgical excision, electrodessication, curettage, chemical exfoliation, cryosurgery and laser treatment. However, as these tumors lie deep in the dermis, all treatments are associated with a substantial risk of recurrence and can cause scars and skin pigment changes. We here report the case of a 40-year old woman with no previous history, presenting with skin-colored periorbital papules whose histological examination showed syringomas.