Syringomatous adenoma of the nipple (SAN) is an extremely rare disease originating in the adnexal gland; it was first reported by Rosen in 1983 [Am J Surg Pathol 1983;7:739–745]. Since then, 34 cases have been reported worldwide. We present the case of a 51-year-old man with SAN, in whom local excision of the tumor was performed. Histologically, the tumor consisted of tubules, ductules and epithelial cell strands, and most of the proliferating ducts presented with a characteristic teardrop or comma-shaped appearance.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) presents with diverse clinical features, and several morphologic and histologic variants of BCC have been reported [Sexton et al.: J Am Acad Dermatol 1990;23:1118–1126]. Linear BCC was first described as a new clinical subtype in 1985 by Lewis [Int J Dematol 1985;24:124–125]. Here, we present a case of linear BCC that we recently encountered in an elderly Japanese patient, and review other cases reported in Japan.