Open AccessUnexpected histopathologic result of a wide surgical excision of a bleeding lesion of the skin: a case of Merkel cell carcinoma of the leg
Author(s) -
Giovanni Cestaro
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
il giornale di chirurgia/il giornale di chirurgia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.188
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1971-145X
pISSN - 0391-9005
DOI - 10.11138/gchir/2015.36.5.231
Subject(s) - medicine , merkel cell carcinoma , lesion , nodule (geology) , immunosuppression , wide local excision , surgery , skin cancer , radiation therapy , asymptomatic , basal cell carcinoma , carcinoma , dermatology , cancer , pathology , basal cell , paleontology , biology
Merkel cell Carcinoma is a very rare primary cutaneous tumor that often looks like an innocuous and asymptomatic nodule or plaque of the skin, but with a very fast growing. It is also called neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin or trabecular cancer. The main treatment is based on a local excision followed by radiotherapy or chemotherapy. The most common site of presentation of this lesion is head and neck (40-60%.) and it often occur in older men with immunological system dysfunction like HIV patients, cancer, severe infections and immunosuppression for transplantation.