title: A Merkel cell carcinoma presenting as a solitary lymph node metastasis without a primary lesion. Report of a case and review of the literature.
abstract: Merkel cell carcinoma is an uncommon, aggressive neuroendocrine tumour of the skin. At presentation regional lymph nodes are involved in approximately one third of the patients. In this report a patient is presented in whom Merkel cell carcinoma presented as a solitary lymph node metastasis with an unknown primary skin lesion. The diagnosis of unknown primary merkel cell carcinoma including the use of immunohistochemical markers and treatment options based on data from the literature are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Abdominal Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. s.dezeeuw@chir.umcn.nl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Zeeuw
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Schouten van der Velden
authors.forename: H J H W
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: de Wilt
authors.forename: C T A H
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Wetzels
authors.forename: H J J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bonenkamp
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed