Sentinel lymph node biopsy for head and neck Merkel cell carcinoma: A preliminary study

IntroductionA retrospective preliminary study assessed the feasibility of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in the management of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) of the head and neck.Patients and methodsTwelve patients with stage I or II head and neck MCC underwent SLNB over a 4-year period.ResultsOnly 1 of the 12 patients had a positive SLNB. The sentinel node was not identified in 3 patients. Two of the 8 patients with negative SLNB showed regional lymph node recurrence within 2 years. One patient died during follow-up.ConclusionMerkel cell carcinoma is an uncommon but highly aggressive pathology; management protocols have been based on small series. The role of SLNB in the management of MCC remains to be defined.