ABSTRACT
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine tumor of the skin commonly seen in the elderly on the head, neck and extremities, with a predisposition for local regional and distant spreading. A case of Merkel cell carcinoma occurred in a woman treated with immunosuppressive therapy for myasthenia gravis, is described and the possibility of a link between the immunosuppressive and/or oncogenic therapy and this tumor is suggested.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell/complications , Myasthenia Gravis/complications , Skin Neoplasms/complications , Aged , Carcinoma, Merkel Cell/pathology , Fatal Outcome , Female , Humans , Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects , Myasthenia Gravis/drug therapy , Skin Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
We have studied a series of 43 patients--who were suffering from uremia, subject to hemodialysis treatment, resulting seronegative to the test for HBV and who had never been vaccinated before--considering the HBS antibody as seroconversion index. We subdivided our patients into three groups, according to the treatment employed. First group: French vaccine; 2nd group: French vaccine+thymopenthine; 3rd group: recombining DNA vaccine+thymopentine. From a statistical point of view, in the 3rd group we obtained a significant seroconversion in terms of patients, if compared with the other groups.
