Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 42 No. 3, 2003.
Case report
Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the Face: Two Case Reports and Literature Review
Marko Grgić
Marija Pastorčić Grgić
Krešo Zurak
Csilla Neuchrist
Martin Burian
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma is an aggressive tumor of the skin deriving from neuroendocrine cells with unpredictable clinical behavior and poor clinical outcome. Merkel cell carcinoma is relatively rare with some 600 cases reported, but seemingly with an increasing incidence due to the increased sun exposure and immunosuppression. There are increasing reports of Merkel cell carcinoma occurring in transplant patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy. We present two cases of Merkel cell carcinoma of the facial skin, one of them in a patient who received immunosuppressive therapy. According to the literature, standard therapy for Merkel cell carcinoma includes large scale surgical excision of the primary tumor, neck dissection for palpable nodes, and in most cases subsequent radiotherapy. This article also reviews some recent reports of Merkel cell carcinoma regarding the diagnosis, clinical course and therapeutic modalities.
Keywords
Carcinoma - Merkel cell, etiology; Carcinoma - Merkel cell, therapy; Skin neoplasms, therapy; Organ trans¬plantation, therapy
Hrčak ID:
14673
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2003.
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