Muir-Torre syndrome associated with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency and cutaneous vasculitis. Report of a case with exacerbation of a cutaneous neoplasm during immunosuppressive therapy

Multiple Sebaceous Adenomas and Extraocular Sebaceous Carcinoma in a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis: Case Report and Review of Literature

Background:

Sebaceous carcinomas are relatively rare cutaneous tumors; there are fewer than 600 cases reported. They most commonly arise within the meibomian gland of the eyelid; fewer than 150 of the reported cases were extraocular. These tumors have a high incidence of local recurrence and regional metastasis. The relationship of sebaceous tumors and visceral malignancy is well established in the literature.

Objective:

We describe a 44-year-old white female with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis who developed multiple scalp sebaceous adenomas and a solitary sebaceous carcinoma.

Conclusion:

Extraocular sebaceous carcinomas are rare tumors with high incidence of local recurrence and regional metastasis. Surgery with wide surgical margins is the standard treatment. We report the first case of multiple sebaceous tumors in a patient with multiple sclerosis. The presence of sebaceous tumors warrants a search for an internal malignancy. Literature on sebaceous tumors and their relationship with visceral malignancies and immunologic disorders is discussed. Literature on sebaceous carcinoma with special attention to extraocular sebaceous carcinoma is also discussed.

Muir-Torre syndrome

Muir-Torre syndrome is an autosomal-dominant skin condition of genetic origin, characterised by tumours of the sebaceous gland or keratoacanthoma that are associated with visceral malignant diseases. The cutaneous characteristics of Muir-Torre syndrome are sebaceous adenoma, epithelioma, carcinoma, or multiple keratoacanthomas, whereas visceral malignant diseases include colorectal, endometrial, urological, and upper gastrointestinal tumours. Although Muir-Torre syndrome has a striking familial association and features of autosomal-dominant transmission, it can arise in individuals without a family history or any known mutations. Clinical and biomolecular evidence has suggested that there are two types of Muir-Torre syndrome. The most common is a variant of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, which is characterised by defects in mismatch repair genes and early-onset tumours. The second type does not show deficiency in mismatch repair and its pathogenesis remains undefined. Diagnosis of these rare sebaceous lesions warrants the search for associated internal malignant diseases: the peculiarity of skin lesions and their biomolecular characterisation with microsatellite instability analysis and immunohistochemistry could be used to identify familial Muir-Torre syndrome, allowing clinicians to tailor a personalised programme to screen for skin and visceral malignant diseases in high-risk individuals.

Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and toxic shock: a Japanese autopsy case

A 74-year-old Japanese female presented with the sudden appearance of hemorrhagic purpuric ecchymoses on her lower extremities and with fever and chills, and died on the fifth day of hospitalization. A diagnosis of alpha1-antitrypsin (AT) deficiency was made postmortem. The liver weighed 1260 g. Histological sections from the liver revealed rather severe fatty changes of the hepatocytic parenchyma and partial loss of the normal hepatic architecture with fibrosis. The hepatocytes contained periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive, diastase-resistant and alpha1-AT-positive intracytoplasmic globules. There was markedly increased inflammatory infiltration with severe edema and congestion, accompanied by fibrous, thickened pulmonary alveolar walls with fibrin deposition in the lungs (right, 410 g; left, 280 g), which suggest findings similar to those seen in multiple organ failure. Mild pulmonary emphysema was also present in the upper lobes of the lungs. Histological sections from the hemorrhagic necrotic ecchymoses of the skin showed marked neutrophil infiltration over the subcutaneous tissue with bleeding and blistering. A finding of thrombophlebitis was also found in the subcutaneous tissue. No bacteria were detected in the ecchymoses, the urine or the blood. Plasma protein analysis revealed a lower level (9.5 micromol/L) of alpha1-AT and a higher level (330 U) of anti-streptolysin O (ASO). These findings suggest that the patient died of toxic shock-like syndrome and that alpha1-AT deficiency might have facilitated the development of the toxic shock. To our knowledge, this is the first case of toxic shock associated with alpha1-AT deficiency.

Effective treatment with alpha 1-protease inhibitor of chronic cutaneous vasculitis associated with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency

The primary serum proteinase inhibitor is alpha 1-antitrypsin, and deficiency of this enzyme has been associated with a variety of systemic and cutaneous disorders. We report cutaneous vasculitis in a 49-year-old man with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency. His condition persisted despite treatment with colchicine, prednisone, and antibiotics but has been controlled by the administration of alpha 1-protease inhibitor.

The Muir-Torre syndrome: a 25-year retrospect

The Torre or Muir-Torre syndrome consists of certain types of sebaceous neoplasms of the skin, with or without keratoacanthomas, and one or more low-grade visceral malignancies in the absence of other predisposing factors. The sebaceous tumors are relatively uncommon or rare: sebaceous adenoma, sebaceous epithelioma, basal cell epithelioma with sebaceous differentiation, and sebaceous carcinoma. Sebaceous hyperplasia and hamartomas such as nevus sebaceus of Jadassohn, with or without a sebaceous epithelioma within it, are not a defining part of this syndrome. Sebaceous hyperplasia is common in elderly light-complexioned people with or without this syndrome. Nevus sebaceus of Jadassohn is not rare and is predisposed to the development of other neoplasms within it, including occasionally a sebaceous epithelioma. Colonic polyps are frequently present. Muir-Torre syndrome requires recognition because affected patients are at risk of multiple primary malignancies. The skin lesions may be the first sign of this syndrome, although more often its cutaneous signs follow the diagnosis of at least the first visceral malignancy. The Muir-Torre syndrome portends the greater possibility of a favorable prognosis than might be anticipated otherwise because the visceral cancers are usually low-grade malignancies. However, they are often multiple, so identifying such patients will affect their management in a few ways. Because these indolent visceral malignancies tend to permit prolonged survival, even metastatic disease may respond well to aggressive surgical treatment. The sebaceous cancers in this syndrome, like the visceral malignancies, are less aggressive than their counterparts unassociated with this syndrome. Because this syndrome is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, identifying one patient means delineating an entire family, which should be investigated. This syndrome may be caused by a defective mismatch DNA repair gene.

Systemic nodular panniculitis in a patient with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (PiSS phenotype)

The association of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (PiZ phenotype) with systemic nodular panniculitis has been well documented. Despite reports of cases of systemic nodular panniculitis associated with other alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency phenotypes, it is still not known if this association is fortuitous rather than causal. We report a case of systemic nodular panniculitis associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (PiSS phenotype), with clinico-pathological features similar to those reported in cases associated with the PiZ phenotype.