Primitive eyelid Merkel carcinoma

Primitive Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) of the eyelid is a malign cutaneous neuro-endocrine tumour that originates in Merkel cells; which are situated along the border of the eyelid between the eyelashes. It is a rare, very aggressive and metastasising tumour. The histo-pathological diagnosis may require an immuno-histochemical and ultrastructural analysis. The authors describe the clinical case of a 65-year-old woman with palpebral MCC that appeared suddenly over a period of three months. The correct therapeutic strategy for Merkel cell cancer is a radical, aggressive and early removal of the tumour at its initial stage, in order to reduce the risk of a distant recurrence and to improve the survival rate. The tumour must be resected with a broad safety margin and radiotherapy may be required post surgery.