Cutaneous Adnexal Tumours in an Eastern European Cohort: Clinicopathological Spectrum and Rare Malignant Lesions

Introduction: Cutaneous adnexal tumours are a heterogeneous group of tumours arising from the adnexal structures of the skin. These include follicular, eccrine, apocrine, and sebaceous lineages. These entities display a wide morphological spectrum with overlapping histopathological features, posing significant diagnostic challenges. This study aims to provide a detailed analysis of these neoplasms. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study including patients with primary cutaneous adnexal tumours diagnosed in excisional specimens at our centre between 2018 and 2025. Results: A total of 82 primary cutaneous adnexal tumours were analysed in patients aged 24–90 years. A female predominance was observed (62.19%), with a mean age of 56 years among female patients and 60 years among male patients. The head and neck region was the most frequently affected site (70.73%), followed by the upper limb, thorax, and lower limb. Sweat gland tumours markedly outnumbered follicular tumours (79.27% vs. 20.73%), with hidrocystomas and spiradenomas representing the most common benign lesions. Most tumours were benign (91.46%), while atypical spiradenoma (3.66%) and malignant tumours such as eccrine porocarcinoma, trichilemmal carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma arising in association with trichoblastoma (4.88%) were rare but clinically significant findings. Surgical specimen volumes varied significantly by anatomical site, with scalp and limb lesions reaching the largest dimensions. Margin status differed according to biological behaviour, with malignant tumours showing greater proportion of close or infiltrated margins, while margins were non-assessable in all three atypical cases. Immunohistochemical evaluation supported diagnostic confirmation in atypical and malignant cases. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the broad clinical and morphological spectrum of cutaneous adnexal tumours and contribute data from an Eastern European cohort. This study adds regional data to the limited literature on the clinicopathological distribution of cutaneous adnexal tumours and emphasises rare, atypical, and malignant diagnostic scenarios.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Cancers
Published
2026-09-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18172822
Primary Topic
Cancer and Skin Lesions
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
article

Cutaneous Adnexal Tumours in an Eastern European Cohort: Clinicopathological Spectrum and Rare Malignant Lesions

Adrian-Horațiu Sabău, Diana Maria Chiorean, Andreea Cătălina Tinca, Martin Manole et al.
Cancers
Cancer and Skin Lesions
article

Cutaneous Adnexal Tumours in an Eastern European Cohort: Clinicopathological Spectrum and Rare Malignant Lesions

Adrian-Horațiu Sabău, Diana Maria Chiorean, Andreea Cătălina Tinca, Martin Manole, Iuliu Gabriel Cocuz, Adéla Ionita, Ovidiu Simion Cotoi, Sofia Teodora Muntean, Raluca-Diana Hagău, Vicențiu Popa
article en

Abstract

Introduction: Cutaneous adnexal tumours are a heterogeneous group of tumours arising from the adnexal structures of the skin. These include follicular, eccrine, apocrine, and sebaceous lineages. These entities display a wide morphological spectrum with overlapping histopathological features, posing significant diagnostic challenges. This study aims to provide a detailed analysis of these neoplasms. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study including patients with primary cutaneous adnexal tumours diagnosed in excisional specimens at our centre between 2018 and 2025. Results: A total of 82 primary cutaneous adnexal tumours were analysed in patients aged 24–90 years. A female predominance was observed (62.19%), with a mean age of 56 years among female patients and 60 years among male patients. The head and neck region was the most frequently affected site (70.73%), followed by the upper limb, thorax, and lower limb. Sweat gland tumours markedly outnumbered follicular tumours (79.27% vs. 20.73%), with hidrocystomas and spiradenomas representing the most common benign lesions. Most tumours were benign (91.46%), while atypical spiradenoma (3.66%) and malignant tumours such as eccrine porocarcinoma, trichilemmal carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma arising in association with trichoblastoma (4.88%) were rare but clinically significant findings. Surgical specimen volumes varied significantly by anatomical site, with scalp and limb lesions reaching the largest dimensions. Margin status differed according to biological behaviour, with malignant tumours showing greater proportion of close or infiltrated margins, while margins were non-assessable in all three atypical cases. Immunohistochemical evaluation supported diagnostic confirmation in atypical and malignant cases. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the broad clinical and morphological spectrum of cutaneous adnexal tumours and contribute data from an Eastern European cohort. This study adds regional data to the limited literature on the clinicopathological distribution of cutaneous adnexal tumours and emphasises rare, atypical, and malignant diagnostic scenarios.

CancersVol. 18(17)
Military Technical Academy (RO), Universitatea de Medicină, Farmacie, Științe și Tehnologie „George Emil Palade” din Târgu Mureș (RO), Valahia University of Targoviste (RO), Spitalul Clinic Judetean de Urgenta Târgu Mureş (RO), Spitalul Clinic Judetean Mures (RO)
Openalex Percentile: Top 9%
Cancer and Skin Lesions
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.