Archives of Head and Neck Surgery
https://www.archivesheadnecksurgery.com/article/doi/10.4322/ahns.2020.0011
Archives of Head and Neck Surgery
Case Report Head and neck cutaneous tumors

Active surveillance after complete spontaneous regression of a metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma of the head

Alvaro Sanabria, Iván Vega, Lizeth Sánchez

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Abstract

Complete spontaneous regression (CSR) of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a known phenomenon. There are no reports of an active decision to avoid resection or adjuvant treatment and keep surveillance after CSR of MCC in the literature. An 84-year-old Caucasian male patient with a 6×5 cm MCC on the left forehead, with evidence of satellite nodules and a lymph node conglomerate in the left parotid region compatible with metastasis and confirmed by 18F-FDG PET-CT, presented CSR of the neoplasm. The use of PET-CT and non-operative active surveillance strategy can assist with monitoring response, thus avoiding unnecessary resections.

Keywords

Merkel cell carcinoma; spontaneous neoplasm regression; active surveillance; 18F-FDG PET-CT.

References

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Submitted date:
02/26/2020

Accepted date:
05/01/2020

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