title: Giant neuroendocrine (Merkel cell) carcinoma of the skin.
abstract: An 82-year-old woman had a dark red to purple tumor on the left buttock that had gradually enlarged during the last 5 years. Although routine histologic examination was not sufficient for diagnosis, neuroendocrine carcinoma was diagnosed by immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies. Immunohistochemical-positive reactions to neurofilament, cytokeratin, neuron-specific enolase, and epithelial membrane antigen were noted. Electron microscopically, membrane-bound, dense core granules that yielded a positive uranaffin reaction and intermediate filaments in the perinuclear area were observed in the cytoplasm of most tumor cells. Desmosome-like structure between them was also found. Approximately 6 months after local excision, metastatic lesions developed in the regional lymph nodes and liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasutomi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arata
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002081:Buttocks; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase