Dermoscopy of Adnexal Tumors

Abstract

Cutaneous adnexal tumors include lesions with apocrine, eccrine, follicular, sebaceous, and mixed differentiation. Most are benign and sporadic, although malignant forms are occasionally observed and some cases develop in the setting of inherited syndromes. These tumors often cause immense diagnostic difficulty. Dermoscopy is a noninvasive technique that has greatly improved the diagnostic accuracy of different skin lesions, including these tumors. We provide a review of the literature on the dermoscopic structures and patterns associated with adnexal tumors. Most patterns associated with this kind of tumor are nonspecific and are observed in other nonadnexal tumors, especially in basal cell carcinomas.

Keywords: Adnexal tumors; Dermoscopy; Eccrine and apocrine tumors; Follicular tumors; Sebaceous tumors.