Merkel cell carcinoma in a young pregnant woman.
We present a 27-year-old pregnant woman with Merkel cell carcinoma on the forehead. In early pregnancy, the lesion was excised as an epidermal cyst. It was only after recurrence that a diagnosis of Merkel cell carcinoma was made. Sentinel-node biopsy, excision with 2 cm margins and reconstruction with free microvascular radial forearm flap was carried out, and the patient received postoperative radiotherapy. No evidence of recurrence or disease progression was found 24 months after surgery.
Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. Heli.kukko@hus.fi
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Kukko
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Vuola
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Suominen
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Koljonen
D000328:Adult; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005546:Forehead; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D013524:Surgical Flaps