Sebomatricoma: a unifying term that encompasses all benign neoplasms with sebaceous differentiation

Abstract

Literature regarding neoplasms with sebaceous differentiation is confusing, particularly concerning the concept of sebaceous epithelioma, accepted by some observers as a specific neoplasm but defined by others as basal cell carcinoma with sebaceous differentiation and still others as sebaceous adenoma in which undifferentiated basaloid cells predominate. From our study of 19 benign sebaceous neoplasms within this spectrum and a critical review of the literature, we conclude that (a) "sebaceous epithelioma" is a nonuseful term; (b) the term "basal cell carcinoma with sebaceous differentiation" should be used only for an otherwise conventional basal cell carcinoma with histological evidence of sebaceous differentiation; (c) "sebaceous adenoma," as described by Troy and Ackerman, represent polar ends of the spectrum of a benign neoplasm with varying degrees of sebaceous differentiation, for which we propose the term "sebomatricoma"; and (d) sebomatricoma, so defined, embraces such diverse benign neoplasms with sebaceous differentiation as superficial epithelioma with sebaceous differentiation and previously "unclassifiable" sebaceous neoplasms, often found in patients with Muir-Torre syndrome or within nevus sebaceus of Jadassohn.