Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2020:75:307-310.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2020.09.111. Epub 2020 Sep 19.

Clear cell hidradenoma of the hand: A case report in an 83-year old patient

Affiliations
Case Reports

Clear cell hidradenoma of the hand: A case report in an 83-year old patient

Kristian Efremov et al. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2020.

Abstract

Introduction: Clear cell hidradenoma (CCH) is a superficial adnexal tumor of the sweat glands. It generally appears on the trunk or scalp and is uncommon on the upper and lower limbs; it is extremely rare on the hand. CCH tend to be benign, with low malignancy risk. Treatment is based on complete surgical excision. We report a rare case of a CCH of the palm of the hand in an 83-year old patient.

Presentation of case: An 83-year old male patient presented with a small mass on the palmar surface of his left hand, which was progressively increasing over 5 years. The tumor was surgically excised after sonography and sent for histologic examination, based on which diagnosis of CCH was made. Three months after surgery, the patient had no recurrence and was symptom free.

Discussion: CCH is a rare tumor of the distal extremities and to the best of our knowledge, only one case of this tumor on the hand has been reported. Our case represents a rare CCH located at the palm of the hand, which was successfully surgical excised without recurrence. Therefore, CCH needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis when encountering masses on the distal extremities. Hidradenocarcinoma is the malignant variant that arises from the same cells.

Conclusion: We report the second case of CCH on the palmar surface of the hand. Treatment of choice is surgical excision, followed by histological analysis and close follow-up for recurrence.

Keywords: Clear cell; Hand; Hidradenoma; Sweat gland; Tumor.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Surgical view of the mass during and after accurate dissection. It was round, 1.2 cm in diameter, with a greyish coloration and nodular appearance. A small area with blueish coloration can be seen, which was the one underlying the skin.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Histological aspect of the mass. Well-circumscribed nodule, with smooth borders, constituted by lobules of basophilic and clear cells separated by homogeneous collagenous material. On the top there is a cystic dilated space full of sweat (A). At higher magnification, it is possible to appreciate that the two cell populations intermingle each other. Cytological atypia, mitotic figures or necrosis are absent (B, C, D).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Clinical aspect of the palm of the operated hand three months after surgery. The V-shaped scar is present without any recurrence.

References

    1. Hashimoto K., DiBella R.J., Lever W.F. Clear cell hidradenoma. Histological, histochemical, and electron microscopic studies. Arch. Dermatol. 1967;96:18–38. - PubMed
    1. Feldman A.H., Niemi W.J., Blume P.A., Chaney D.M. Clear cell hidradenoma of the second digit: a review of the literature with case presentation. J. Foot Ankle Surg. 1997;36:21–23. - PubMed
    1. Nandeesh B.N., Rajalakshmi T. A study of histopathologic spectrum of nodular hidradenoma. Am. J. Dermatopathol. 2012;34:461–470. - PubMed
    1. Nguyen J.T., Brooks R.M., El Jamal S.M., Wilhelmi B.J. Nodular hidradenoma of left toe. Eplasty. 2015;15:ic6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hernández-Pérez E., Cestoni-Parducci R. Nodular hidradenoma and hidradenocarcinoma. A 10-year review. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 1985;12:15–20. - PubMed

Publication types