ABSTRACT
Objective To review recent studies on Muir Torre syndrome (MTS) and to improve the knowledge about MTS.Methods The literatures in recent years on clinic and gene research of MTS were reviewed.Results MTS was is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the predisposition to both sebaceous tumors (or multiple keratoacanthomas) and internal malignancies. Gastrointestinal cancers were the most common kind of internal malignancies in MTS patients(61%),followed by genitourinary cancers(22%). In most cases(56%),sebaceous tumors appeared after the emergence of internal maliganancy. Both hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer(HNPCC) and MTS were caused by germline mutations in the DNA mismatch repair genes. MTS patients exhibit significantly more mutations in the hMSH2 than in the hMLH1. In these cases , both internal and skin tumors showed the characteristic of high microsatellite instability(MSI).Conclusion The presence of sebaceous tumors(or multiple keratoacanthomas) necessitates the search for internal malignancies. It is mandatory that patients with MTS, as patients with HNPCC, should be regularly followed up to search new malignancies. Evaluation and monitoring of the family members of patients are also necessary. The patients and their families should be counseled for genetic test. Sequencing the hMSH2 gene should be the prior selection of further examinations when clinical manifestations, history and laboratory tests suggest MTS.