Merkel Cell Carcinoma Involving the Cerebrospinal Fluid: A Case Report

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare skin cancer with very low incidence and so community oncologists do not encounter many cases of this pathology in their day-to-day practice. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement by Merkel cell carcinoma is an extremely rare manifestation of this already rare pathology, and so not many cases are available in the literature. There are no specific guidelines for treatment of MCC involving the CNS, and so description of every single case of MCC involving CNS, is of utmost importance so as a) to help increase awareness of this entity among clinicians, b) help highlight different treatment approaches being implemented at different facilities, and c) eventually help develop best treatment guidelines to treat such cases. We present a case of an 83-year-old woman that was seen at our facility with MCC involving the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).