Bilateral multiple axillary apocrine hidrocystomas associated with benign apocrine hyperplasia

Apocrine hidrocystomas are benign adenomatous cystic proliferations derived from apocrine sweat glands, often occuring as solitary translucent cystic lesions, most commonly on the head and neck, especially in periocular tissues (on both the upper and lower eyelids). The Japanese authors suggested that apocrine hyperplasia is a precursor of cancer and that apocrine adenoma, hyperplasia and carcinoma may be successive steps in the linear progression to carcinoma. 3 The presence of multiple apocrine hidrocystoma may be a marker of two rare inherited disorders: the Schopf-Schulz-Passarge syndrome and the Goltz-Gorlin syndrome. 8 The Schopf-Schulz-Passarge syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive form of ectodermal dysplasia characterised by hypodontia, hypoplastic nails, hypotrichosis, palmoplantar keratoderma, cysts of the eyelid margins and multiple periocular apocrine hidrocystomas. 8 The Goltz-Gorlin syndrome is sporadic in nature in most cases, but it is assumed to have an X-linked dominance mode of inheritance, as it occurs more commonly in women.