Merkel cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Merkel cell carcinomas are uncommon, but aggressive, cutaneous malignancies of neuroendocrine differentiation. To the pathologist, these lesions appear as sheets of undifferentiated tumor cells with little cytoplasm and dense nuclear chromatin. They are members of the group of “small round blue cell...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Head & neck 2012-09, Vol.34 (9), p.1346-1354
Main Authors: Pellitteri, Phillip K., Takes, Robert P., Lewis Jr, James S., Devaney, Kenneth O., Harlor, Evan J., Strojan, Primož, Rodrigo, Juan P., Suárez, Carlos, Rinaldo, Alessandra, Medina, Jesus E., Woolgar, Julia A., Ferlito, Alfio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell - etiology
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell - pathology
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell - therapy
Combined Modality Therapy
cutaneous carcinoma
Dermatology
Head and Neck Neoplasms - pathology
Head and Neck Neoplasms - therapy
head neck tumors
Humans
Medical sciences
Merkel cell carcinoma
Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology
primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin
primary small cell carcinoma of the skin
Prognosis
Skin Neoplasms - etiology
Skin Neoplasms - pathology
Skin Neoplasms - therapy
trabecular carcinoma
Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions
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Description
Summary:Merkel cell carcinomas are uncommon, but aggressive, cutaneous malignancies of neuroendocrine differentiation. To the pathologist, these lesions appear as sheets of undifferentiated tumor cells with little cytoplasm and dense nuclear chromatin. They are members of the group of “small round blue cell tumors,” which includes small cell carcinomas of the lung, lymphomas, and neuroblastomas. Analogous to other skin malignancies, Merkel cell carcinomas frequently arise in the head and neck region and are commonly found in the elderly population. Merkel cell carcinomas have a high propensity for regional and distant metastases, and recurrences are frequently seen. Surgical excision is the recommended first‐line treatment followed by adjuvant radiation therapy. Because of the high incidence of occult regional metastasis, patients with clinical and radioghaphically negative necks should undergo elective dissection, irradiation, or preferably sentinel lymph node biopsy. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2012
ISSN:1043-3074
1097-0347
DOI:10.1002/hed.21787