A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report
Authors: Georgina Simpson, Kalliopi Alexandropoulou, Panagiotis Koliou, Izhar Bagwan, Christopher Alexakis
Background: Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare skin malignancy of neuroendocrine origin that is highly aggressive and frequently metastasizes. Case Presentation: We present a case of Merkel cell carcinoma in which the patient developed metastatic gastric deposits that led to his admission to the acute medical unit with signs consistent with an upper gastrointestinal bleed. Treatment options in this case were limited to palliative radiotherapy (RT) given the patients multimorbid state. Unfortunately, our patient deteriorated during his admission and passed away. Conclusion: There have been few reports of Merkel cell carcinoma metastasizing to the stomach. In this case, we highlight an immediately life-threatening presentation with upper gastrointestinal bleeding that required prompt endoscopic intervention. The relatively recent initiation of immunotherapy as a management option for this underlying condition introduces a shift in treatment options that were previously limited to RT and chemotherapy.
Keywords: Case report, Merkel cell carcinoma, immunotherapy, metastasis, endoscopy
Authors
Correspondence to:
Christopher Alexakis, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK christopher.alexakis@nhs.net
Publication history:
Received 15 Apr 2021
Accepted 25 Nov 2021
Published online 23 Dec 2021
Published in print 12 Jan 2022
Simpson G, Alexandropoulou K, Koliou P, Bagwan I, Alexakis C. A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report. EJMCR. 2021; 5(12): 330-333. doi:
10.24911/ejmcr/173-1602946910
Simpson G, Alexandropoulou K, Koliou P, Bagwan I, Alexakis C. A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report. https://www.ejmcr.com/?mno=15388 [Access: April 26, 2024]. doi:
10.24911/ejmcr/173-1602946910
Simpson G, Alexandropoulou K, Koliou P, Bagwan I, Alexakis C. A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report. EJMCR. 2021; 5(12): 330-333. doi:
10.24911/ejmcr/173-1602946910
Simpson G, Alexandropoulou K, Koliou P, Bagwan I, Alexakis C. A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report. EJMCR. (2021), [cited April 26, 2024]; 5(12): 330-333. doi:
10.24911/ejmcr/173-1602946910
Simpson, G., Alexandropoulou, . K., Koliou, . P., Bagwan, . I. & Alexakis, . C. (2021) A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report. EJMCR, 5 (12), 330-333. doi:
10.24911/ejmcr/173-1602946910
Simpson, Georgina, Kalliopi Alexandropoulou, Panagiotis Koliou, Izhar Bagwan, and Christopher Alexakis. 2021. A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report. European Journal of Medical Case Reports, 5 (12), 330-333. doi:
10.24911/ejmcr/173-1602946910
Simpson, Georgina, Kalliopi Alexandropoulou, Panagiotis Koliou, Izhar Bagwan, and Christopher Alexakis. "A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report." European Journal of Medical Case Reports 5 (2021), 330-333. doi:
10.24911/ejmcr/173-1602946910
Simpson, Georgina, Kalliopi Alexandropoulou, Panagiotis Koliou, Izhar Bagwan, and Christopher Alexakis. "A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report." European Journal of Medical Case Reports 5.12 (2021), 330-333. Print. doi:
10.24911/ejmcr/173-1602946910
Simpson, G., Alexandropoulou, . K., Koliou, . P., Bagwan, . I. & Alexakis, . C. (2021) A rare case of Merkel cell carcinoma presenting with an upper gastrointestinal bleed: a case report. European Journal of Medical Case Reports, 5 (12), 330-333. doi:
10.24911/ejmcr/173-1602946910