A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma with ovarian metastasis

Abstract

IntroductionMerkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous malignancy that normally occurs in sun-exposed areas of the skin. Risk factors are immundeficency and Merkel cell polyomavirus.Treatment options are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy in clinical trials.Case reportWe describe a case of an 80-year-old woman with ovarian metastasis of MCC six years after excision of a cutaneous MCC on the cheek.DiscussionTo our knowledge only three cases with ovarian metastasis of MCC have been described so far. Our case is the second with distant metastasis to the ovary spreading from a primary tumor in the skin of the head, in the other two cases the primary tumor was in the inguinal skin.ConculsionMCC is a highly aggressive cutaneous and mucosal malignancy with frequent recurrence, lymph node and distant metastases. There is no clear consensus how to treat metastatic disease.

Multiple Merkel cell carcinoma: a case report

“…The rapidly progressive state impeded the verification when our patient passed away. Most of the published cases did not discuss metastasis chemotherapy management because of the rarity of the disease [ 7 ]. Chemotherapy is reserved for metastatic disease and is similar to the treatment of lung small-cell carcinoma because of the exact neuroendocrine origin with etoposide and topotecan [ 7 ].…”

“…Most of the published cases did not discuss metastasis chemotherapy management because of the rarity of the disease [ 7 ]. Chemotherapy is reserved for metastatic disease and is similar to the treatment of lung small-cell carcinoma because of the exact neuroendocrine origin with etoposide and topotecan [ 7 ]. Our patient underwent treatment with carboplatin and etoposide under the oncologist’s supervision.…”