Question

Multiple sebaceous cysts are seen in which of the following?

• A. Gardner's syndrome
• B. Turcot syndrome
• C. Muir-Torre syndrome
• D. Cowden syndrome

Hint:

Sebaceous cysts plus osteomas plus desmoids point to an FAP variant.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

This question tests the cutaneous markers of inherited polyposis syndromes. Gardner's syndrome is best understood as familial adenomatous polyposis with extra body manifestations beyond the colon, and its hallmark trio outside the bowel comprises multiple epidermoid or sebaceous cysts of the skin, bony osteomas (often of the skull and mandible), and desmoid tumours of the abdominal wall and mesentery. The phrase multiple sebaceous cysts therefore directly flags Gardner's syndrome. Comparing it with the other named conditions clarifies the distinction: Turcot syndrome pairs intestinal polyps with brain tumours such as medulloblastoma and glioma; Muir-Torre syndrome is characterised by sebaceous neoplasms, namely adenomas and carcinomas, together with internal malignancies, not by simple retention cysts; and Cowden syndrome produces multiple hamartomas including trichilemmomas with a raised risk of breast and thyroid cancer. None of these features multiple ordinary sebaceous cysts as their signature, so the answer is Gardner's syndrome.\[\boxed{\text{Gardner's syndrome}}\]