boolean isCellInMergedRegion = false;

            for (int i = 0 ; i < getNumMergedRegions() && ! isCellInMergedRegion; i++) {

                isCellInMergedRegion = getMergedRegionAt(i).contains(row.getRowNum(), column);

            }

            if (cell == null | isCellInMergedRegion) continue;

import org.apache.poi.poifs.filesystem.POIFSFileSystem;

    public void testAutoSizeColumn() throws Exception {

		String filename = System.getProperty("HSSF.testdata.path");

		filename = filename + "/43902.xls";

		String sheetName = "my sheet";

		FileInputStream is = new FileInputStream(filename);

		POIFSFileSystem fs = new POIFSFileSystem(is);

		HSSFWorkbook wb = new HSSFWorkbook(fs);

		HSSFSheet sheet = wb.getSheet(sheetName);

		// autoSize the first column and check its size before the merged region (1,0,1,1) is set:

		// it has to be based on the 2nd row width

		sheet.autoSizeColumn((short)0);

		assertEquals("Column autosized with only one row: wrong width", (short)7169, sheet.getColumnWidth((short)0));

		//create a region over the 2nd row and auto size the first column

		sheet.addMergedRegion(new Region(1,(short)0,1,(short)1));

		sheet.autoSizeColumn((short)0);

		ByteArrayOutputStream out = new ByteArrayOutputStream();

		wb.write(out);

		out.close();

		// check that the autoSized column width has ignored the 2nd row 

		// because it is included in a merged region (Excel like behavior)

		HSSFWorkbook wb2 = new HSSFWorkbook(new ByteArrayInputStream(out.toByteArray()));

		HSSFSheet sheet2 = wb2.getSheet(sheetName);

		assertEquals((short)3024, sheet2.getColumnWidth((short)0));

		// remove the 2nd row merged region and check that the 2nd row value is used to the autoSizeColumn width

		sheet2.removeMergedRegion(1);

		sheet2.autoSizeColumn((short)0);

		out = new ByteArrayOutputStream();

		wb2.write(out);

		out.close();

		HSSFWorkbook wb3 = new HSSFWorkbook(new ByteArrayInputStream(out.toByteArray()));

		HSSFSheet sheet3 = wb3.getSheet(sheetName);

		assertEquals((short)7169, sheet3.getColumnWidth((short)0));

    }