Digital papillary carcinoma.

Abstract

Digital papillary carcinoma (DPC) is a rare, slow growing, malignant tumor with eccrine differentiation that occurs predominantly in digits. This tumor was originally classified as a benign neoplasm; aggressive digital papillary adenoma (ADPA) was first described by Helwig in 1979 [1]. In 1987, Kao et al. [2] classified ADPA and aggressive digital papillary adenocarcinoma (ADPAca) based on differences in histologic findings. However, a recent retrospective study revealed that neither histologic nor clinical characteristics were predictive of recurrence or metastasis [3]. Therefore, the designations “ADPA” or “ADPAca” should be reevaluated because lesions with benign histologic features have both recurred and metastasized [3]. In the 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) classification, ADPA or ADPAca were grouped under a single entity of DPC without any benign counterpart [4]. We report a case of DPC on the third finger that lasted for 20 years, but increased in size and became extremely painful in the past 7 months. After a complete excision, no recurrence or metastasis was found for two and a half years. A brief review of the literature is presented.