Ultrastructural studies of perichromatin granules with special references to Merkel cell carcinoma

Since it has been convincingly demonstrated that Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), a new type of virus, isolated in 2008, induces some of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), we searched MCPyV in specimens taken from MCC patients by electron microscopy. The purpose of this communication is to report the presence of perichromatin granules (PCGs), which can be misinterpreted as virus-like particles (VLP). Tissues from several cutaneous tumors including MCC were examined by electron microscopy (EM). EM revealed intranuclear and spherical electron-dense particles with halo, approximately 55 nm in diameter suggesting possible VLP. However, granular structures were detected in MCPyV DNA positive and also negative MCC. Moreover, the same structures were detected in the tumor cells of SCC associated with MCC, those of malignant melanoma (MM), schwannoma, and also in the lesional melanocyte, fibroblast, apoptotic cell and mitotic cell. Since MCPyV DNA could not be detected in collision MCC with SCC, MM and schwannoma, this observation could mean that the granular structures we dealt with in this report represent PCGs, but not VLP and show an absence of viral particles in MCC.