MERKEL CELL-CARCINOMA - REPORT OF 4 CASES

We report four cases of Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare cutaneous neuroe ndocrine neoplasm with a high malignant potencial. The first patient i s a 90 year old male presenting with a tumor in the left superior eyel id. Surgical excision was the only treatment and seven months later; a local and regional tumoral relapse caused the death of this patient. The second patient is a 83 years old female with a tumor in her left e ar She was treated surgically and with radiotherapy, being free of dis ease after years of follow up. The third patient is a 45 years old mal e with a tumor in the left forearm. Treatment was surgical excision of the primary tumor and axillary lymph nodes. He received post operativ e radiotherapy and is free of disease after three years of follow up. The last case is a 76 years old male, who was subjected only to an exc isional biopsy of a lesion located in the left knee. He had a tumor re lapse with inguinal and crural lymph node involvement that caused his death 12 months later.