Porocarcinoma as a rare case of malignant skin tumor

Abstract

Background: Porocarcinoma is a rare and malignant tumor of the eccrine sweat glands of the intraepidermal ductal portion that accounts for approximately 0.005% to 0.01% of skin tumors. It was first described in 1963 by Pinkus and Mehregan and was called epidermotropic ecrino carcinoma. Porocarcinoma usually occurs in the lower extremities 44%, trunk 24% and head 18%, in older people (average age 65 years), with no gender preference. Because eccrine porocarcinoma is a rare entity, it can be misdiagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, pyogenic granuloma, amelanotic melanoma, Bowen's disease, fibroid, common wart, or metastatic adenocarcinoma. It has a variable clinical appearance which delays diagnosis. Multinodularity, ulceration, size and rapid growth are risk factors.