Angiolipoleiomyoma located in the earlobe

Angiolipoleiomyoma (ALLM) is a solid tumor that is mostly derived from muscle tissue. It is often located in the kidneys of patients with tuberous sclerosis; ALLMs located outside the kidneys are very rare. Among the rare presentations are cutaneous ALLMs, which manifest as 1- to 4-cm asymptomatic, acquired, solitary, subcutaneous nodules that have a strong predilection for males. To the best of our knowledge, only 22 cases of ALLM of the skin have been previously reported in the literature; in 5 of these cases, the tumor was located on the ear. Histologically, tumoral proliferation is observed with smooth muscle, fat tissue, and vascular channels surrounded by a fibrous capsule; cellular atypia is not observed. We report the case of a 67-year-old man who presented for evaluation of a purplish nodular lesion that had been present on his right earlobe for 10 years. Analysis of an excisional biopsy specimen revealed a nodular formation that consisted mostly of thick-walled veins within a fibromyxoid stroma; smooth-muscle tissue and fat globules were observed in places. The lesion was diagnosed as a cutaneous ALLM.