Malignant eccrine neoplasms of the foot.

Abstract

Eccrine cancers are uncommon, but potentially recurrent, metastatic and fatal. Rarely, they are primary foot lesions. The literature records 46 foot cases, with age and sex given for 41. Various eccrine cancer types (most on the sole), affected all races, males predominating. Average age at diagnosis was approximately 55. A podiatric facility recorded eight cases among approximately 30,000 skin biopsies, during 15 years. Seven arose in women. Five arose in the great toe area. Three are porocarcinomas. Five are "adenocarcinomas" varying in degree of differentiation. None of the eight patients presented recurrence or metastasis during follow-up 0.5-13.4 years. Of the combined 49 literature and podiatric cases, 28 (57.1%) arose in men, mostly between ages 41 and 70. Most were slow growing, long standing, and mildly symptomatic. No clinical features distinguished eccrine cancers from other pedal tumors.