An Unusual Clinical Presentation of Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report

Introduction. Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine cell carcinoma arising in the sun-exposed skin of elderly patients. Most of these tumors are located in the dermis. An unusual clinical presentation of such a tumor in the subcutis, if not biopsied, may be easily mistaken as a...

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Published in:Case Reports in Medicine 2010-01, Vol.2010 (2010), p.218-220-244
Main Authors: Sarma, Deba P., Heagley, Dawn E., Chalupa, Julianne, Cox, Meredith, Shehan, James M.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Case Report
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Summary:Introduction. Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine cell carcinoma arising in the sun-exposed skin of elderly patients. Most of these tumors are located in the dermis. An unusual clinical presentation of such a tumor in the subcutis, if not biopsied, may be easily mistaken as a benign lesion. Case Presentation. An 83-year-old white woman presented with a several-month history of a painless 7 mm subcutaneous mass that was initially thought to be a lipoma. A conservative follow-up was planned. At the insistence of the patient, an excisional biopsy of the mass was performed revealing a subcutaneous Merkel cell carcinoma. The tumor cells stained positively for CK 20, chromogranin, and synaptophysin. No other primary or metastatic tumors found after a thorough work-up. The patient was treated with local irradiation. She remains disease free at her six-month follow-up visit. Conclusion. When a new growth is encountered in the sun-exposed skin of elderly patients, a biopsy is warranted even if the lesion clinically appears benign.
ISSN:1687-9627
1687-9635
DOI:10.1155/2010/905414