Syringoid eccrine carcinoma of external auditory canal. A case report.

First described in 1969, syringoid eccrine carcinoma (SEC) is a rare cutaneous tumor with some controversy regarding its correct definition. It consists of solid nests and small cords in a dense fibrocollagenous stroma. As it is rare, its clinical appearance is not well characterized and its biological behaviour is not defined. It usually affects skin of the scalp, extremities and more rarely, other sites. It behaves as locally aggressive tumor but metastases are rare. Although there have been some previous reports describing clinical presentation and management of SEC in the skin, there has been no previous reports describing clinical findings and management of this tumor in the external auditory canal. We report a case of a 57-year-old female with small solitary mass in left external auditory canal associated with discharge, severe itching and bleeding on manipulation. Complete local excision is the recommended method for diagnosis and treatment of this tumor in the external auditory canal. This extremely rare case serves as a springboard for the diagnosis as well as the management of SEC in external auditory canal. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.