Sebaceous carcinoma of the neck in an elderly patient: a case report
6 affiliations
- 1Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Department, Al Nafis Hospital, Damascus, Syria
- 2Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria
- 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Al-Mouwasat University Hospital, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria
- 4Al-Wataniya Private University, Hama, Syria
- 5Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Latakia University, Latakia, Syria
- 6Faculty of Medicine, Homs University, Homs, Syria
Abstract
Introduction:: Sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy that occurs predominantly in the periocular region. Extraocular presentations, particularly as an isolated neck mass, are exceptionally uncommon.
Case presentation:: An 89-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of a progressively enlarging left neck mass, which demonstrated rapid growth and ulceration in the final month. Physical examination revealed a 5-cm, clinically ill-defined, ulcerated mass over the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Imaging identified a hypervascular nodule. The patient underwent wide local excision with 2 cm safety margins. Histopathological analysis confirmed a 10-cm SC with free margins and no lymphovascular or perineural invasion. The multidisciplinary tumor board recommended no adjuvant therapy. The patient recovered well and remained disease-free at the 12-month follow-up.
Discussion:: This case exemplifies an extremely rare localization of SC. It underscores the critical importance of including SC in the differential diagnosis of atypical head and neck masses, as clinical and radiological features are non-specific. The definitive diagnosis relies on histopathology. The successful outcome following surgery alone highlights that wide local excision with clear margins is the cornerstone of treatment, and in this case, adjuvant therapy was withheld given favorable pathological features, although longer follow-up is necessary to confirm long-term disease control, even for large tumors.
Conclusion:: This report reinforces the diagnostic challenge of extraocular SC and demonstrates that curative outcomes can be achieved with surgical management tailored to histopathological findings. Long-term follow-up remains essential.
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BibTeX
@article{bllan2026sebaceous,
title = {{Sebaceous carcinoma of the neck in an elderly patient: a case report}},
author = {Ahmad Bllan and Mayar Al Sharbaji and Ahmad Alkheder and Yasser Al Ghabra and Jiana Ibraheem},
journal = {International Journal of Surgery Case Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1097/rc9.0000000000001099},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/rc9.0000000000001099},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Sebaceous carcinoma of the neck in an elderly patient: a case report
AU - Ahmad Bllan
AU - Mayar Al Sharbaji
AU - Ahmad Alkheder
AU - Yasser Al Ghabra
AU - Jiana Ibraheem
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - International Journal of Surgery Case Reports
DO - 10.1097/rc9.0000000000001099
UR - https://doi.org/10.1097/rc9.0000000000001099
AB - Introduction:: Sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy that occurs predominantly in the periocular region. Extraocular presentations, particularly as an isolated neck mass, are exceptionally uncommon. Case presentation:: An 89-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of a progressively enlarging left neck mass, which demonstrated rapid growth and ulceration in the final month. Physical examination revealed a 5-cm, clinically ill-defined, ulcerated mass over the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Imaging identified a hypervascular nodule. The patient underwent wide local excision with 2 cm safety margins. Histopathological analysis confirmed a 10-cm SC with free margins and no lymphovascular or perineural invasion. The multidisciplinary tumor board recommended no adjuvant therapy. The patient recovered well and remained disease-free at the 12-month follow-up. Discussion:: This case exemplifies an extremely rare localization of SC. It underscores the critical importance of including SC in the differential diagnosis of atypical head and neck masses, as clinical and radiological features are non-specific. The definitive diagnosis relies on histopathology. The successful outcome following surgery alone highlights that wide local excision with clear margins is the cornerstone of treatment, and in this case, adjuvant therapy was withheld given favorable pathological features, although longer follow-up is necessary to confirm long-term disease control, even for large tumors. Conclusion:: This report reinforces the diagnostic challenge of extraocular SC and demonstrates that curative outcomes can be achieved with surgical management tailored to histopathological findings. Long-term follow-up remains essential.
SN - 2210-2612
ER -