title: Merkel cell carcinoma--a rare cause of non-healing skin ulcer: a case report.
abstract: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare tumour of skin which needs to be differentiated from other small cell tumours like small-cell carcinoma of lung, melanoma, and lymphoma. Definitive diagnosis is made by immunohistochemistry and staining positively with cytokeratin. There is very little data regarding treatment of metastatic MCC and many questions remain unanswered. MCC is a chemosensitive tumour and many different chemotherapeutic regimens have been used alone or in combination with radiotherapy to treat metastatic MCC. Although complete and partial responses are achieved, they are mostly short lived and tumour usually recurs. Here a case is reported who had partial remission with chemotherapy (etoposide and cisplatin) and radiation therapy in a patient with metastatic MCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaba
authors.forename: Prem
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.forename: Promila
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pankaj
authors.forename: Ethel S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Belho
authors.forename: Abdul Baseer
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Qadri
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012782:Shoulder; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*