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Deadly Dermatologic Diseases pp 41–46Cite as

Merkel Cell Carcinoma

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Abstract

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) was first described by Toker in 1972 as trabecular carcinoma of the skin. It is also known as neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin, cutaneous APUDoma, and primary small cell carcinoma of the skin with endocrine differentiation. Merkel cell carcinoma is an uncommon and aggressive non-melanoma cutaneous neoplasm. Friedrich Merkel first discovered the Merkel cell in 1875. It is a large, clear, usually round or oval cell found in the basal layer of the epidermis. It is found in close association with terminal axons and is joined to keratinocytes. They are found in highest concentrations in acral skin, namely, the fingertips and nasal tip, as well as glabrous skin, hairy skin, and mucous membranes. The function of Merkel cells is thought to be that of a slowly adapting mechanoreceptor. The origin of Merkel cell carcinoma is controversial as well. It may arise from epidermal Merkel cells, dermal neuroendocrine cells, or poorly differentiated epidermal stem cells.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Director of Dermatopathology, Dermatology Specialists of Florida, Panama City, FL, USA

    Michael B. Morgan

  2. Staff Dermatopathologist, Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, Clermont, FL, USA

    Michael B. Morgan

  3. Professor of Dermatology, Michigan State College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA

    Michael B. Morgan

Authors
  1. Katelynn Campbell MD
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  2. Kaylan Pustover
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  3. Michael B. Morgan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael B. Morgan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Assistant Professor Department of Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    David R. Crowe

  2. Dermpath Diagnostics, Tampa, Florida, USA

    Michael Morgan

  3. MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Stephen Somach

  4. Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Kara Trapp

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Campbell, K., Pustover, K., Morgan, M.B. (2016). Merkel Cell Carcinoma. In: Crowe, D., Morgan, M., Somach, S., Trapp, K. (eds) Deadly Dermatologic Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31566-9_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31566-9_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31564-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31566-9

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