Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the skin: light microscopic, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical analysis

Three primary skin carcinomas were analyzed by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. In all cases, local recurrences, regional lymph node metastases, distant metastases, or all three developed. One patient had elevated serum calcitonin levels that did not decrease after thyroidectomy but did return to normal after removal of the skin tumor recurrences, its metastases, or both. The tumor cells were arranged in solid clusters; a trabecular arrangement was occasionally seen. In 2 cases the cells were of intermediate size and showed vesicular central nuclei and pale, moderately abundant cytoplasm. In the remaining case the cells were distinctly smaller and either round or fusiform. Mitoses were more abundant in the latter case than in the former two. By immunohistochemistry, calcitonin- and somatostatin-containing cells were demonstrated in all cases and ACTH in one. By electron microscopy, the cases consisting of intermediate-size cells displayed moderately abundant neurosecretory-type granules irregularly dispersed throughout the cytoplasm. The case consisting of smaller cells displayed fewer and smaller granules that tended to concentrate in slender cytoplasmic processes. We conclude that these tumors constitute parts of the broadening spectrum of neuroendocrine skin carcinomas that may derive from Merkel cells.