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Cutaneous Undifferentiated Small (Merkel) Cell Carcinoma, that Developed Synchronously with Multiple Actinic Keratoses, Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Basal Cell Carcinoma
Author(s) -
Aydin Abdullah,
Koçer N. Emrah,
Bekerecioğlu Mehmet,
Sari Ibrahim
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1346-8138
pISSN - 0385-2407
DOI - 10.1111/j.1346-8138.2003.tb00379.x
Subject(s) - merkel cell carcinoma , merkel cell , pathology , actinic keratosis , cytokeratin , merkel cell polyomavirus , basal cell carcinoma , chromogranin a , epidermis (zoology) , dermis , actinic keratoses , carcinoma , biology , basal cell , medicine , immunohistochemistry , anatomy
Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon undifferentiated neuroendocrine tumor, arising in skin mainly on sun‐exposed areas. We present an unusual case of primary cutaneous undifferentiated small cell carcinoma that co‐existed with six other lesions; 2 actinic keratoses, 3 squmaous‐cell carcinomas and a basal‐cell carcinoma. HE stained sections revealed MCC located in the mid‐dermis, co‐existing with severe actinic keratosis. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells reacted to cytokeratin 20, epithelial membrane antigen, chromogranin and neuron specific enolase. This is an unusual case of cutaneous MCC co‐existing with six other different lesions. The concurrent development of MCC, squamous‐cell and basal‐cell carcinoma in the same patient indicates the pluripotent epidermal stem cell origin of these tumors. Further research is needed to enlighten the factors inducing this divergent differentiation.