Management of the neck in Merkel cell carcinoma of the head and neck: University of Miami experience.
BACKGROUND
We reviewed management of the cervical lymph nodes in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) of the head and neck.


METHODS
Records of 15 patients with MCC of the head and neck area were evaluated for the type of surgical treatment, including wide local excision, sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, neck dissection, postoperative radiation therapy, and clinical outcomes.


RESULTS
Median follow-up was 24 months (range, 5-84 months). Ten patients were treated with wide local excision plus SLN, with or without neck dissection. Five patients were treated with wide local excision only or wide local excision plus neck dissection. One patient died of distant metastases (7%), and 14 patients remain alive (93%), over a mean follow-up of 24 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Wide excision and SLN biopsy for primary MCC with N0 neck is feasible for early-stage, previously untreated lesions. SLN biopsy was helpful in determining the nodal levels to be dissected or irradiated.
Shnayder
Yelizaveta
Y
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA. yshnayder@kumc.edu
Weed
Donald T
DT
Arnold
David J
DJ
Gomez-Fernandez
Carmen
C
Bared
Anthony
A
Goodwin
W Jarrard
WJ
Civantos
Francisco J
FJ