Sebaceous gland hyperplasia D23.L

Author: Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer

Last updated on: 26.10.2025

Synonym(s)

Adenoma sebaceum senile; circumscribed senile sebaceous hyperplasia; sebaceous hyperplasia; sebaceous hyperplasia circumscribed senile; senile sebaceous nevus

Definition
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Most frequent benign adnexal tumor with differentiation of sebaceous glands.

Etiopathogenesis
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Immunosuppression (e.g. after taking Ciclosporin) is a favorable factor.

Hormonal or genetic influences (e.g. as part of Muir-Torre syndrome) are also cited.

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Dermatology

Keratoakanthoma classic type

Initially fast-growing (usually a few weeks according to the typical medical history), solitary, painless, ...

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Manifestation
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Occurs after the age of 35, especially in seborrhoics. Men are more frequently affected than women.

Localization
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Face, forehead, sides of the cheeks.

Clinic
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Mostly multiple, then disseminated, more rarely solitary, 0.2-0.5 cm in size, skin-colored, yellowish-reddish or yellow, centrally always forked(caution! clinically important sign; DD basal cell carcinoma!), flat or calotte-shaped, smooth papules, which show a lobular structure and a shiny surface when viewed from the side (and under reflected light microscopy) and illuminated.

Less common are 0.5-1.0 cm large, solitary papules or nodules with a mostly bumpy surface structure.

Mostly clear, accompanying seborrhoea oleosa with prominence of the skin pores.

Histology
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Symmetrical tumour protruding the mostly unchanged epidermis, in which mature, hyperplastic sebaceous gland lobules are grouped around a central, dilated infundibulum filled with horny and sebaceous masses. Pityrosporon oval or bacterial clusters are often found in the retinal masses.

Differential diagnosis
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Clinic: Basal cell carcinoma, molluscum contagiosum

Histology: Adenoma of the sebaceous glands.

Therapy
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For cosmetically disturbing lesions, treatment with laser (possible options are: Erbium YAG laser, the long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser (e.g. Derma ^VTM ) or the_{CO2 laser}), cryosurgery (established procedure in many practices) or excision (rare indication).

Note(s)
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Confluent sebaceous gland adenomas, which cover almost the entire neck and clavicle region, are to be considered as malformation. The nosological value of the diffuse presenile sebaceous gland hyperplasia remains to be seen.

Literature
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Finan MC, Apgar JT (1991) Juxta-clavicular beaded lines: a subepidermal proliferation of sebaceous gland elements. J Cutan catholic 18: 464-468
Kaufmann R (1987) Diffuse (presenile) sebaceous gland hyperplasia, a new entity? dermatologist 38: 31-35
Zouboulis C et al (2003) Ciclosporin A - induced sebaceous glands hyperplasia. Br J Dermatol 149: 198-200