Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma coexisting with hemangioma in the liver: report of a case

Primary Hepatic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma with Metastasis to the Mesentery: A Case Report

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (PHNECs) are extremely rare, with only about 90 cases having been reported in the English-language literature. Among all neuroendocrine neoplasms, primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are extremely rare, accounting for 0.3% of NETs and 0.28-0.46% of malignant liver tumors. Additionally, primary hepatic NECs occur infrequently. The clinical diagnosis of primary hepatic NEC remains challenging because of its rarity and the lack of information about its characteristic appearance on images. Consequently, pathological examination through the performance of a preoperative liver tumor biopsy is essential for diagnosis. Due to the lack of availability of substantial high-quality data, there is no standard therapy for primary hepatic NEC. We present the first case of PHNEC metastasized to the mesentery reported in the English-language literature.

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma diagnosed by needle biopsy: a case report

Background

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are extremely rare. The rate of recurrence after resection is extremely high, and the prognosis is poor. It is debatable whether chemotherapy or surgical resection is the optimal initial treatment for primary hepatic NECs. Therefore, selecting an appropriate therapeutic approach for patients with primary hepatic NECs remains clinically challenging. We present a case of primary hepatic NEC in a patient who developed recurrence after undergoing surgical resection.

Case presentation

A 78-year-old man with bone metastases of prostate cancer was referred to our department because of a solitary 66-mm tumor in the left lateral segment of the liver, which was detected on annual follow-up by computed tomography after prostate resection. A biopsy and preoperative diagnostic workup identified the lesion as a primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma; therefore, left lateral segmentectomy was performed. Immunohistochemically, the tumor was positive for chromogranin A, synaptophysin, and CD 56, and the Ki-67 index was 40%. This neuroendocrine carcinoma was classified as a large cell type. Adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin + etoposide was initially administered a month after surgery. However, lymph node recurrence occurred 4 months after surgery, and the patient died of systemic metastases 15 months after surgical resection.

Conclusions

Due to the lack of availability of abundant quantities of relevant, high-quality data, there is no standard therapy for primary hepatic NECs. Selecting the most appropriate treatment for patients depending on several factors, such as the stage and differentiation of a tumor and a patient’s performance status and clinical course, is consequently preferred. More cases need to be studied to establish the best treatment strategy for primary hepatic NEC.

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma coexisting with distal cholangiocarcinoma: A case report and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Although primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinomas, whose prognostic mechanisms remain unclear, are rare, coexistence of neuroendocrine carcinomas and other tumors is rarer. In this report, we describe a unique case of coexistence between primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma and a distal cholangiocarcinoma in the pancreas.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 64-year-old woman with a history of diabetes, but none of hepatitis, was admitted to hospital because of intermittent epigastric distension and pain discomfort for more than 1 month aggravated 1 day. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the upper abdomen and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a thickening of the bile duct wall in the middle and lower segment of common bile duct and the corresponding lumen is narrow and low-density tumors with ring enhancement (1.83 cm × 1.9 cm) in lobi hepatis dexte.

DIAGNOSIS

Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the liver was diagnosed to be coexisting with a distal cholangiocarcinoma, which had invaded the pancreas. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that the neoplastic cells strongly expressed chromogranin A, synaptophysin, and CD56 proteins. The tumor cells did not express HepPar-1, glypican-3, S-100, CK7, and CK19 in the liver tumor. A distal bile duct in pancreatic tissues shows the characteristics of typical bile duct carcinoma, as an invasion of carcinoma is also seen in the pancreatic tissues. Gastrointestinal endoscopy, chest and abdominal CT, abdominal MRI, and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT were used to exclude metastatic neuroendocrine tumors of the liver.

INTERVENTIONS

Resection of the pancreas-duodenum, the right anterior lobe of the liver, and regional lymph nodes was performed in patients.

OUTCOMES

The patient had survived for 5 months after the operation.

CONCLUSION

A unique case of a coexistence of primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma and a distal cholangiocarcinoma, which had invaded the pancreas. No treatment guidelines are established for the treatment of the unique case.

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma: report of two cases and literature review

Background

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (PHNEC) is extremely rare. The diagnosis of PHNEC remains challenging—partly due to its rarity, and partly due to its lack of unique clinical features. Available treatment options for PHNEC include surgical resection of the liver tumor(s), radiotherapy, liver transplant, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), and administration of somatostatin analogues.

Case presentation

We report two male PHNEC cases and discuss the diagnosis and treatment options. Both cases presented with abdominal pain; case two also presented with symptoms of jaundice. The initial diagnosis for both cases was poorly differentiated grade 3 small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, based on imaging characteristics and the pathology of liver biopsies. Final diagnoses of PHNEC were arrived at by ruling out non-hepatic origins. Case one presented with a large tumor in the right liver lobe, and the patient was treated with TACE. Case two presented with tumors in both liver lobes, invasions into the left branch of hepatic portal vein, and metastasis in the hepatic hilar lymph node. This patient was ineligible for TACE and was allergic to the somatostatin analogue octreotide. This limited treatment options to supportive therapies such as albumin supplementation for liver protection. Patient one and two died at 61 and 109 days, respectively, following initial hospital admission.

Conclusions

We diagnosed both cases with poorly differentiated grade 3 small-cell PHNEC through imaging characteristics, immunohistochemical staining of liver biopsies, and examinations to eliminate non-hepatic origins. Neither TACE nor liver protection appeared to significantly extend survival time of the two patients, suggesting these treatments may be inadequate to improve survival of patients with poorly differentiated grade 3 small-cell PHNEC. The prognosis of poorly differentiated grade 3 small-cell PHNEC is poor due to limited and ineffective treatment options.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12907-018-0070-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Combination therapies for primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma: a case report

Background

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinomas are extremely rare. Because of the rarity of PHNEC, its clinical features and treatment outcomes are not well understood. A proper diagnosis and the correct therapeutic approach therefore remain clinically challenging.

Case presentation

A 67-year-old man was admitted to our department because of a liver tumor. Computed tomography revealed a single liver tumor 50 mm in diameter and located in the S3 region. Biopsy and imaging findings resulted in a diagnosis of primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. Left lateral segmentectomy was performed. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and CD56. Ki-67 was positive in > 90% of the tumor cells. The final diagnosis was primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. The patient suffered two episodes of lymph node recurrence. Nonetheless, the tumor was excised to prolong survival. Thus, after lymphadenectomy, he received adjuvant chemotherapy for 6 months. Two years after surgery, the patient remains alive and in good general condition.

Conclusions

In most cases, primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma, while extremely rare, has a poor prognosis. At present, surgical resection is a priority for curative treatment, but in patients with recurrence, combined therapies are recommended.

Histological features of mixed neuroendocrine carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma in the liver: a case report and literature review

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is rare, and its origin, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment have not been clarified. Primary mixed NEC and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is even rarer and is divided into either combined type or collision type. We report a patient with the combined type of mixed NEC and HCC. A 72-year-old male was diagnosed with HCC and underwent hepatectomy because of the presence of two tumors in his liver. Histological examination demonstrated that one of the tumors had both NEC and HCC components. The transitional zone was noted in the immunohistological examination, and the tumor was determined to be the combined type of primary mixed NEC and HCC. This was the first description of an HCC component being found in an NEC-dominant area in a primary mixed NEC and HCC tumor. Three weeks after hepatectomy, an abdominal computed tomography scan showed extensive regional and para-aortic lymphadenopathy, and early relapse was suspected in the patient. The patient died 3 months after the operation despite treatment with combination chemotherapy. This report describes an unfavorable case and summarizes all the primary mixed NEC and HCC tumor cases that have been previously reported.

Metastatic Brain Neuroendocrine Tumor Originating from the Liver

A 67-year-old male presented with left temporal hemianopsia and left hemiparesis. A contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance image revealed a 4.5×3.5×5.0 cm rim-enhancing mass with central necrosis and associated edema located in the left occipital lobe. Of positron emission tomography and abdominal computed tomography, a 9–cm mass with poor enhancement was found in the right hepatic lobe. Craniotomy and right hemihepatectomy was performed. The resected specimen showed histological features and immunochemical staining consistent with a metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET). Four months later, the tumors recurred in the brain, liverand spinal cord. Palliative chemotherapy with etoposide and cisplatin led to complete remission of recurred lesions, but the patient died for pneumonia. This is the first case of a metastatic brain NET originating from the liver. If the metastatic NET of brain is suspicious, investigation for primary lesion should be considered including liver.

Clinical features and outcomes of primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinomas

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (PHNECs) are extremely rare, with only about 150 cases having been reported in the English-language literature. Because of the rarity of PHNECs, its clinical features and treatment outcomes are not well understood. Here, we report our experiences with PHNECs.

METHODS

We identified patients diagnosed with PHNEC and analyzed their demographics, baseline laboratory data, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities and outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 218 consecutive patients were identified with pathologically confirmed neuroendocrine carcinoma. Of these, 12 patients were diagnosed with PHNECs; the median age was 66.5 years (range, 37 to 80 years), and seven patients (58.3%) were male. Two patients who each had a single hepatic mass underwent curative surgical resection. One patient who was of inoperable status at the initial diagnosis because of multiple intrahepatic metastases showed a partial response after the ninth round of systemic chemotherapy and then underwent surgical resection. The median overall survival in the 12 patients was 16.5 months (range, 0.7 to 41.7 months). Three patients who underwent surgical treatment are alive without recurrence for 15.2 months, 18.0 months, and 36.9 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis in the management of hepatic tumors. The liver can be the primary origin of neuroendocrine tumors, and if the tumors are diagnosed as primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors, surgical resection must be considered for curative treatment.

Primary Hepatic Neuroendocrine Tumor: What Do We Know Now?

Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (PHNETs) are rear neoplasm. Diagnosis is an evolution, and requires a systematic clinical exclusion with histological confirmation. Treatment is surgical with excellent prognosis, and a long-term follow-up is required due to high tumor recurring rate. Knowledge from this species of tumor remains limited due to paucity of cases. This article elaborates the key features, diagnosis algorithm, current management, other treatment options and extensive review of literature on this rear tumor.

Primary neuroendocrine tumor in the liver treated by hepatectomy: report of a case

A 49-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital under suspicion of an enlarging hepatic tumor, which had been previously diagnosed to be a cavernous hemangioma. Computed tomography revealed three enhanced tumors, one measuring 15 cm in diameter within the right lobe of the liver and two intrahepatic metastases in Couinaud's hepatic segments 3 and 5. We diagnosed the patient to have primary liver cancer, and suspected a combined liver tumor preoperatively. We performed a right trisectionectomy with radiofrequency ablation of the intrahepatic metastasis in S3. According to the immunohistochemical findings of the resected specimen and the findings of postoperative imaging studies, the tumor was diagnosed to be a primary neuroendocrine tumor in the liver. The patient is presently alive without recurrence at 33 months after the operation.