Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Aug 26, 2025; 13(24): 105244
Published online Aug 26, 2025. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i24.105244
Merkel cell carcinoma presenting as a nasal dorsum mass: A case report and literature review
Abdullah Ibrahim Ali Abuharb, Abdullah Fahad Alzamil, Khalid Saad Alqarni, Ali M Alsudays, Saeed M Alqahtani, Rawan Mosleh Alahmadi, Alyaa Shojaa Al Mutairy, Fareed Ramzi Alghamdi
Abdullah Ibrahim Ali Abuharb, Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Imam Mohammed ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11564, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Fahad Alzamil, Khalid Saad Alqarni, Saeed M Alqahtani, Rawan Mosleh Alahmadi, Alyaa Shojaa Al Mutairy, Fareed Ramzi Alghamdi, Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh 11564, Saudi Arabia
Ali M Alsudays, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, King Fahd Specialist Hospital, Buraydah 51481, Saudi Arabia
Ali M Alsudays, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Author contributions: Abuharb AIA, Alzamil AF, Alqarni KS, Alsudays AM, Alqahtani SM, Alahmadi RM, Al Mutairy AS, and Alghamdi FR, contributed to manuscript writing and editing, and data collection; Alghamdi FR contributed to conceptualization and supervision; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of this case report and accompanying images, ensuring confidentiality and adherence to ethical guidelines.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Abdullah Ibrahim Ali Abuharb, Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Imam Mohammed ibn Saud Islamic University, Al Thoumamah Road, Riyadh 11564, Saudi Arabia. abdullah.abuharb@gmail.com
Received: January 22, 2025
Revised: April 1, 2025
Accepted: May 13, 2025
Published online: August 26, 2025
Processing time: 145 Days and 17.7 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer often misdiagnosed owing to its non-specific presentation. This case report details the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of MCC in the nasal dorsum of a patient with diabetes and hypertension. Emphasizing multidisciplinary collaboration, it highlights the role of advanced imaging, histopathological analysis, and tailored treatment strategies. By sharing insights from a unique clinical scenario, this report adds to the growing body of literature on MCC and underscores the importance of early recognition and comprehensive care in managing atypical presentations of this malignancy.