[Merkel cell carcinoma -- a case report with regard to the current treatment concepts]

A 54-year-old female patient was admitted due to a slow growing, painless resistance on the dorsum of the left hand. The intraoperative aspect of the tumor showed a yellow to white doughy tissue mass infiltrating the metacarpal musculature and bone. After immunohistopathological staining, the diagnosis of a Merkel cell carcinoma was confirmed. A high frequency of local recurrences (25 to 77 %) and lymph node metastases (50 %) are characteristic features of Merkel cell carcinoma. In 30 % of the cases, the disease has a fatal outcome. In primary Merkel cell tumors, surgical excision is the basic therapy, although this carcinoma is highly radiosensitive. Thus, besides surgical treatment, radiation should be included into the treatment concept. In the presented case, after radical excision of the tumor and sentinel-lymphnode biopsy, the patient has been free of local recurrence and metastases for 13 months.