Perineal squamous cell carcinoma arising from an epidermal cyst: a case report

BACKGROUND: Epidermal cysts and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are common skin lesions. However, a malignant change in an epidermal cyst is very rare. The incidence of a malignant change from an epidermal cyst to cutaneous SCC is 0.011–0.045%. In particular, malignant transformation of an epidermal cyst in the perineum is extremely rare. To date, three cases have been reported in the English literature. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of 51-year-old male with an approximately 15-cm perineal mass. This mass started to grow suddenly 4 months previously and caused great discomfort in the perineum due to the large size. The patient underwent excision of the mass with a negative margin. Histopathological analysis confirmed a microinvasive SCC arising from a proliferating epidermoid cyst. CONCLUSIONS: Even if benign tumors are suspected, a change in size, pain, ulceration, or discharge should indicate the need for surgical resection due to the possibility of a malignant change.