Artikel
Merkel cell carcinomas of the eyelid are an important differential diagnosis to the chalazion
Suche in Medline nach
Autoren
-
E. Chkolnikova
- Augenklinik, Klinikum Braunschweig gGmbH
-
K. Donhuijsen
- Pathologisches Institut, Klinikum Braunschweig gGmbH
-
U. Weber
- Augenklinik, Klinikum Braunschweig gGmbH
| Veröffentlicht: | 22. September 2004 |
|---|
Gliederung
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.
