Definition – What is a sebaceous gland carcinoma?
A sebaceous gland carcinoma is a rare, but extremely aggressive, malignant tumor of the sebaceous glands. These glands are located in the skin or the eyelids and provide a part of the waterproofness with their secreted sebum film. Therefore, sebaceous gland carcinoma is divided into a more frequent ocular (located on the eye) and an extraocular (affecting the rest of the body) form. The more frequent ocular form occurs less frequently after removal, but has a significantly worse prognosis.
Why does it occur frequently on the eyelid eye?
In the area of the eyes, special types of tallow-glands occur. These are on the one hand the Zeis glands, which end in the hair follicle of the eyelashes and on the other hand the Meibom glands, which end at the back edge of the eyelid and are involved in the production of the tear film. In addition, there are other sebaceous glands in the inner corner of the eye, the so-called lacrimal caruncles (tear ducts, which are located in the inner corner of the eye).
The ocular (located at the eye) sebaceous gland carcinoma describes a degeneration of one of these gland types, mostly the meibomian glands are affected. The reason why sebaceous gland carcinoma occurs in the eye region in approx. 75% of cases is probably due to the fact that both the skin and the eyes originate from a common tissue of origin (cotyledon) during embryonic development. This connection is also evident in other skin diseases, such as malignant melanoma, which can also occur in the eye in addition to its main manifestation in the skin.
Causes of a sebaceous gland carcinoma
If a sebaceous gland carcinoma occurs in isolation and not together with other cancers, its causes are largely unknown. It is suspected that radiation therapy can cause sebaceous gland carcinomas, for example as a result of an eye tumor such as retinoblastoma. A connection with drugs belonging to the group of dehydrating drugs, so-called diuretics, is also suspected. Furthermore, sebaceous gland carcinoma can occur in the context of a genetic disease, the Muir-Torre syndrome. In addition to a degeneration of the sebaceous glands, tumors of the intestine, the urinary tract, the uterus in women and benign skin tumors can also occur.
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