gms | German Medical Science

102. Jahrestagung der DOG

Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft e. V.

23. bis 26.09.2004, Berlin

Merkel cell carcinomas of the eyelid are an important differential diagnosis to the chalazion

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author E. Chkolnikova - Augenklinik, Klinikum Braunschweig gGmbH
  • K. Donhuijsen - Pathologisches Institut, Klinikum Braunschweig gGmbH
  • U. Weber - Augenklinik, Klinikum Braunschweig gGmbH

Evidenzbasierte Medizin - Anspruch und Wirklichkeit. 102. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft. Berlin, 23.-26.09.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2004. Doc04dogP 007

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dog2004/04dog498.shtml

Published: September 22, 2004

© 2004 Chkolnikova et al.
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Outline

Text

Objective

Merkelcell tumors are highly malignant, fast growing carcinomata frequently appearing at the eyelid.

Case reports

Three patients (m. 86 y., f. 81 y., f 79 y.) presented with a chalazion - like tumor of the eyelid that had been growing for three to eight weeks only. Another patient (f, 49 y.) suffered from an increasing exophthalmus caused by an intraorbital tumor arising from an eye brow tumor noticed 8 months before.

Results

Besides a typical conventional morphology, in all patients a positive immunhistochemical reaction of the tumor cells against an antibody against a low molecular Keratin ("CD20-positivity") was highly characteristic of a Merkel cell carcinoma. Furthermore the tumor cells were positive against a neuronspecific enolase antibody and EMA (epithelial membrane antigen). Radiation was refused by 2 patients who died within 4 years and patient 3 (f. 49 y.) died due to meningeal metastases.

Conclusions

Because of the disastrous course of a Merkelcell carcinoma that clinically often cannot be distinguished from a chalazion we regularly carry out a histological refurbishing.