Abstract

Apocrine adenocarcinoma is a rare malignant neoplasm that typically arises on the axillary area or anogenital region but can occur anywhere in the body where apocrine glands are found. It usually affects middle-aged adults with no sex or racial predilection. It is frequently characterized as having a prolonged course with frequent nodal metastases (40-50%) but a low overall mortality. Histologically, it is described as a non-encapsulated, infiltrative, glandular tumor with variable growth patterns, including tubular, papillary, cord-like, cystic, or solid. Exceptionally, these tumors may exhibit neuroendocrine differentiation. To our knowledge, only three cases have been reported in the worldwide literature of which two had poor prognosis. We present a rare case of apocrine adenocarcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation on the chin with regional metastasis to the submental lymph nodes in a middle-aged man. This report aims to further elucidate the intricacies of this rare entity subtype, address its similarities and differences with the other cases reported in the literature, and raise awareness among pathologists and clinicians regarding the poor prognostic outcome this tumor portends.

Financial Disclosure:
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