A 90-year-old Japanese woman presented with a 4-year history of hyperkeratotic lesions on her left heel that had not been improved by topical treatment with salicylic acid petrolatum ointment or 10% urea cream. There was no history of trauma, but she gradually found it hard to walk because of her left heel pain. The patient had been taking clopidogrel, aspirin, azosemide, metformin hydrochloride, and alogliptin benzoate for the treatment of chronic heart failure, angina, and diabetes mellitus, and all of these symptoms had been well controlled. At the first visit, a clinical examination revealed an erythematous plaque with multiple brown macules, ulcer, and hyperkeratosis ().\nDermoscopy demonstrated glomerular vessels with regular arrangement in the ulcer area () and red-black homogeneous areas in the erythematous area (). She had no particular family history. Although we recommended that she undergo a skin biopsy to diagnose the skin lesion, the patient and her family expressed a strong desire to treat the lesion through a single surgical operation because she was at an advanced age, and the possibility of squamous cell carcinoma could not be completely excluded. Therefore, the skin lesion was totally excised.\nThe histopathological examination revealed hyperkeratosis and thin anastomosing strands of cuboidal cells extending from the epidermis to the upper dermis (). Small ductal structures and cystic changes were observed within the interconnected strands of cells. Hematomas were found in the intracorneal region and upper dermis (). No mitotic or dysplastic cells were observed. The cells of the ductal and cystic structures were positive for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (Figures and ). Based on these findings, the lesion was diagnosed as a reactive ESFA.
A 81-year-old white female patient had had a painful tumor at the lateral malleolus of\nthe right ankle for three years. Physical examination revealed an erythematous tumor\nwith a small central ulceration on the right lateral malleolus ( and ). The\nfollowing hypotheses were formulated: cutaneous annex tumor, fibrosarcoma, schwannoma,\ncutaneous lymphoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Next, a lesion\nbiopsy was performed.\nHistopathology showed epidermis-derived, intertwined epithelial cords, ending in thin\nprojections. Some of these projections had a typical 'crab claw' appearance. Between\nthese cords, a rich fibrovascular stroma is present (). Light formations of the eccrine ducts were identified within some\nof the cords ().\nThe patient was referred to the plastic surgery service, where surgical excision and\nreconstruction by a reverse-flow supramalleolar flap were done (). Three months postoperatively, the patient was completely\nrecovered ().