Umbilicus Porocarcinoma: An Uncommon Neoplasm at a Unique Site

Eccrine porocarcinoma is a rare and aggressive cutaneous neoplasm that mainly affects the elderly patients. It occurs more often in the head and neck, followed by lower limbs. The abdomen, especially the umbilicus, is a very rare presenting location. Diagnosis can be challenging and is usually made based on a combination of clinical, dermoscopical and histopathological findings. The main treatment approach is wide surgical resection, with negative margins. Despite resection, development of nodal or distant metastasis occurs in a few cases. Adjuvant treatment modalities consist of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but the results are inconsistent. Immunotherapy is a novel option to treat these cases, but more studies are needed. Here we present the case of a 73-year-old woman who presented with an enlarging umbilical mass, initially thought to be a metastatic lesion, but the imaging and endoscopic exams showed no other primary tumor. So a biopsy was performed, which revealed a localized eccrine porocarcinoma. After a multidisciplinary decision, the tumor was resected with free margins and no additional treatment was needed. The patient remains in follow-up, with no signs of local recurrence nor nodal or distant metastasis.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-10-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.95343
Primary Topic
Cancer and Skin Lesions
Type
article
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article

Umbilicus Porocarcinoma: An Uncommon Neoplasm at a Unique Site

Inês Sousa, N. Rama, Paulo Clara, João Nobre
Cureus
Cancer and Skin Lesions
article

Umbilicus Porocarcinoma: An Uncommon Neoplasm at a Unique Site

Inês Sousa, N. Rama, Paulo Clara, João Nobre
article en

Abstract

Eccrine porocarcinoma is a rare and aggressive cutaneous neoplasm that mainly affects the elderly patients. It occurs more often in the head and neck, followed by lower limbs. The abdomen, especially the umbilicus, is a very rare presenting location. Diagnosis can be challenging and is usually made based on a combination of clinical, dermoscopical and histopathological findings. The main treatment approach is wide surgical resection, with negative margins. Despite resection, development of nodal or distant metastasis occurs in a few cases. Adjuvant treatment modalities consist of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but the results are inconsistent. Immunotherapy is a novel option to treat these cases, but more studies are needed. Here we present the case of a 73-year-old woman who presented with an enlarging umbilical mass, initially thought to be a metastatic lesion, but the imaging and endoscopic exams showed no other primary tumor. So a biopsy was performed, which revealed a localized eccrine porocarcinoma. After a multidisciplinary decision, the tumor was resected with free margins and no additional treatment was needed. The patient remains in follow-up, with no signs of local recurrence nor nodal or distant metastasis.

CureusVol. 17(10)
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria (PT), Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra (PT), Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra (PT), University of Coimbra (PT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 48%
Cancer and Skin Lesions
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Umbilicus Porocarcinoma: An Uncommon Neoplasm at a Unique Site — Inês Sousa, N. Rama, et al. · Cureus (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS