Viewer Question:

Could you please explain what syringoma is and what is known about it. I would like to know what it is and how it affects the body and if it can be passed on to my children. Any information would be helpful.

Doctor's Response:

Syringoma is a benign skin tumor that derives from cells related to sweat glands. (These particular specialized cells are scientifically referred to as eccrine.) The skin lesions usually appear during puberty or adult life and consist of small bumps 1-3 millimeters in diameter which form underneath the surface of the skin. The most frequent site is the eyelids and around the eyes, but other areas of the body can also be affected (arm pits, lower abdomen, vulva). There may be only one or a few lesions in a localized area or numerous lesions covering a wide area.

Syringomas more frequently affect women and do have an hereditary basis in some, but not all, cases. They are also associated with the following conditions: Down's syndrome, Marfan's syndrome, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Treatment of syringomas can be a problem due to their number and location on the eyelids and face. One method that seems to be effective and creates minimal scarring is the use of a hair removal electric needle. The needle is inserted into the lesion and short bursts of low voltage electricity destroy the tumor. A very recent paper (Kang WH. Dermatologic Surgery 1998 Dec;24(12):1370-4) reports on a promising technique using a CO2 laser.

Last Editorial Review: 4/5/2002

Printer-Friendly Format

|

Email to a Friend