Merkel cell carcinoma of skin
Merkel cell carcinoma of skin
Updated: 03/17/2021
© Jun Wang, MD, PhD
General
features
- Uncommon
- Aggressive neuroendocrine tumor
- Origin and etiology unclear
- Commonly in the head and neck, elderly and light skin population
- May be associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus, UV, radiation, and immunosuppresion
- Tendency to recur and metastasize
- Distant metastasis nearly fatal
Clinical
features
- Painless tumor
- Rapid growing
- Biopsy needed for diagnosis
Key
pathological features
- Sheets of poorly differentiated cells
- Monotonous round tumor cells with scant cytoplasm
- Diffuse infiltration of subcutis
Markers
- Positive: neuroendocrine markers (CD56, chromogranin, synaptophysin, etc), CK20
- Negative: CD45 (rule out lymphoma), TTF1 (rule out metastatic pulmonary small cell carcinoma)
Management
- Excision
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
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