Sentinel lymph node mapping for patients with Merkel cell carcinoma—experience of 5 years

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly malignant carcinoma of the neuroendocrinological system (Bayrou et al., J Am Acad Dermatol 24:198–207, 1992). It is a fast-growing, aggressive tumor with a high rate of local recurrence and early metastases. A radical surgical procedure is the therapy of choice. In case of lymph node metastases, regional lymphadenectomy is mandatory. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping is a standard diagnostic technique to detect micrometastases in certain patients with malignant melanoma and breast cancer. The question is, can the SLN technique provide information as a prognostic factor and can the prognosis of the MCC be improved by detecting micrometastases in SLN at an early stage?