Abstract
Sebaceous carcinomas are rare tumors, with the majority of described cases occurring within the eyelid. To date, there are nine documented reports of sebaceous carcinoma arising within a mature cystic teratoma of the ovary. Although the majority of cases originate from idiopathic mutations, there exists a strong association between this rare tumor and hereditary syndromes of DNA mismatch repair deficiency, such as Lynch syndrome and the lesser-known Muir-Torre syndrome. Here we present the case of a 67 year-old woman with a longstanding history of a small left ovarian cyst with sonographic features of an ovarian dermoid. After nine years, the left adnexal mass was noted to have enlarged, and she underwent a laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The final pathology was reported as sebaceous carcinoma arising within a mature cystic teratoma. The patient underwent subsequent surgical staging and has been followed for eight months without evidence of disease. This report includes a review of the current literature, as well as a brief discussion of the clinical management of women with sebaceous carcinoma arising within a mature teratoma. Additionally, we comment on the broader, hereditary significance of a diagnosis of sebaceous carcinoma, and use this case to demonstrate the thorough histologic and genetic evaluation that is recommended for patients diagnosed with this rare tumor.