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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 4/2006

01-04-2006 | Original article

Impact of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma: results of a prospective study and review of the literature

Authors: Sofiane Maza, Uwe Trefzer, Maja Hofmann, Silke Schneider, Christiane Voit, Thomas Krössin, Andreas Zander, Heike Audring, Wolfram Sterry, Dieter L. Munz

Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Issue 4/2006

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Abstract

Purpose

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is the most aggressive of the cutaneous malignancies, showing a propensity to spread to regional lymph nodes (LNs). The aim of this prospective study was to examine the feasibility and clinical impact of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in this cutaneous malignancy.

Methods

The study population comprised 23 patients with stage I MCC (median age 70 years, range 50–85 years). Lymphoscintigraphic mapping with 99 mTc-nanocolloid was performed in all patients. Sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) were identified, excised and analysed in serial sections by conventional histopathology and cytokeratin-20 immunohistochemistry.

Results

Metastatic disease was determined in the SLNs of 11 patients (47.8%). Elective lymph node dissection (ELND) was performed in eight of these 11 patients, four of whom had additional positive LNs. During follow-up (median 36.1 months, range 3–79 months), seven of the 23 patients (30%) relapsed: four had a local recurrence and three, in-transit metastases. Recurrence developed in two SLN-negative patients with local LN metastases and in one SLN-positive patient with distant metastases. This patient died, representing the only tumour-related death in our sample. Median survival was 49.1 and 35.5 months for SLN-negative and SLN-positive patients, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (p=0.3452).

Conclusion

SLNB allows for exact nodal staging in patients with MCC. Whether additional ELND is of further benefit remains unclear.
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Metadata
Title
Impact of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma: results of a prospective study and review of the literature
Authors
Sofiane Maza
Uwe Trefzer
Maja Hofmann
Silke Schneider
Christiane Voit
Thomas Krössin
Andreas Zander
Heike Audring
Wolfram Sterry
Dieter L. Munz
Publication date
01-04-2006
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging / Issue 4/2006
Print ISSN: 1619-7070
Electronic ISSN: 1619-7089
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-005-0014-1

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