Metastatic Microcystic Adnexal Carcinoma: An Autopsy Case

Abstract

Microcystic adnexal carcinoma is a clinically aggressive, local destructive sweat gland carcinoma with a high rate of recurrence, but regional or distant metastasis is quite rare. The objective was to describe an autopsy case of microcystic adnexal carcinoma with hematogenous metastasis and perineural intracranial spreads. This is an autopsy case of a 73-year-old woman with hematogenous metastasis of microcystic adnexal carcinoma followed for more than 20 years. The autopsy study revealed that the metastatic lesions were located in the perineural intracranial spread, left clavicle bone, bilateral 12th ribs, and liver. Physicians should be aware that microcystic adnexal carcinoma is capable of metastasis to the liver and bones with intracranial spread along the optic nerve into the cranium.