Skin-nontumor / Clinical Dermatology

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Skin-nontumor / Clinical Dermatology

General

Merkel cells

Reviewer: Mowafak Hamodat MB.CH.B, MSc., FRCPC, Memorial University of Newfoundland (see Reviewers page)
Revised: 24 August 2011, last major update August 2010
Copyright: (c) 2002-2011, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

General
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● Difficult to see with H&E or special stains
● Concentrated in skin of digits, finger pads, proximal nail folds, palms, dorsum of feet, lips, hard palate
● More common in outer root sheath of hair follicles and tactile hair discs

Drawing
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Skin and Merkel cells

Positive stains
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● NSE, neurofilament, keratin

Electron microscopy
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● Dense core neurosecretory-type granules in cytoplasm beneath cell membrane or within unmyelinated neurites
● Anchored to adjacent keratinocytes by spinous processes

Additional references
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● Wikipedia

End of Skin-nontumor / Clinical Dermatology > General > Merkel cells

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