title: Merkel cell carcinoma: a primer for the radiologist.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine tumor. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive description of the staging, workup, treatment, and follow-up of MCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sentinel lymph node mapping and PET/CT are the cornerstones of staging of MCC. MCC is a radiosensitive tumor, and hence radiotherapy plays a major role in its management. Close follow-up with PET/CT helps in detecting recurrences of MCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA. stirumani@partners.org
authors.forename: Sree Harsha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tirumani
authors.forename: Atul B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Shinagare
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sakellis
authors.forename: Sachin S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Saboo
authors.forename: Jyothi P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jagannathan
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Krajewski
authors.forename: Nikhil H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Ramaiya
mesh_terms: D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed