Posters

Primitive eyelid merkel carcinoma: case report

Poster Details

First Author: A.Laborante ITALY

Co Author(s):    M. Gaspari   C. Longo   E. Mazzilli        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

We report the case of a 65-year-old Caucasian woman who came to us with a fast-growing neoplasm of the upper eyelid (of around 2.5 months).

Setting:

Ophthalmology Department IRCSS- Ospedale Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza S.Giovanni Rotondo-FG ITALY

Methods:

Primitive Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) of the eyelid is a malign cutaneous neuro-endocrine tumour that originates in Merkel cells; these cells 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 patient with palpebral MCC that appeared suddenly over a period of three months.

Results:

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.

Conclusions:

It is a very aggressive tumour that has a local recurrence in 25% of cases and metastasis to local lymph nodes in 30%. Distant metastasis may occur within two years of diagnosis (skin, bones, brain, liver and lungs). FINANCIAL INTEREST: NONE