Publication at Faculty of Science, First Faculty of Medicine, Third Faculty of Medicine |
2017
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare cutaneous tumor with an aggressive clinical course. In most cases it is associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus infection.
Exceptionally, the tumor can present as a lymph node metastasis without a discernible cutaneous primary. In this report we present the case of a 42 year-old man with inguinal lymphadenopathy, histologically consistent with Merkel cell carcinoma.
Tumor cells expressed immunohistochemically chromogranin-A, synaptophysin and displayed dot-like positivity for cytokeratin 20. The genome of MCPyV in neoplastic cells was detected using real-time PCR.
A cutaneous primary has not been identified neither during the dermatologic examination, nor with PET CT scan.