Noncancerous, Precancerous and Cancerous Tumors

Syringomas are harmless sweat duct tumors. They are most often found in clusters on the eyelids but they may also arise elsewhere on the face, in the armpits, umbilicus, upper chest and vulva.

They are typically skin or yellowish colored, with a firm rounded bump, one to three millimeters in diameter. They start to appear in adolescence and are more common in women than men. Syringoma may be confused with xanthelasma (cholesterol deposits on the eyelids), trichoepitheliomas or basal cell skin cancer. Syringomas are often treated by electrosurgery (diathermy) or laser. This may or may not prove successful and can result in small scars.