title: Merkel cell carcinoma with a desmoplastic portion.
abstract: Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin usually has a trabecular, intermediate-cell or small-cell pattern of differentiation. We report the case of a 66-year-old man who developed a progressive multinodular plaque that showed a prominent desmoplastic component on preliminary biopsy. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies and the final surgical specimen confirmed that the tumor was a Merkel cell carcinoma. The presence of desmoplasia may mask the diagnosis of Merkel cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Skin and Cancer Foundation, Darlinghurst, N.S.W., Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kossard
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wittal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Killingsworth
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase