Primary Neuroendocrine Tumors Research Articles

A neuropsychological profile for high-grade primary central nervous system neuroendocrine tumor (CNS NET): a single-case study.

Objective: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are neoplasms that primarily occur in the lungs, appendix, small intestine, pancreas, and rectum, and typically metastasize to the liver or lymph nodes. However, in rare cases NETs can originate in the central nervous system (CNS). Understanding primary CNS NET neuropsychological manifestations aids in recommendations for neurocognitive follow-up, treatment and lifestyle planning, and future research. Method: Given the dearth of neuropsychological research for CNS NETs, we present a case seen in a 43-year-old woman. Results: Initial and 8-month follow-up neuropsychological evaluations of the patient revealed a Major Neurocognitive Disorder where the pattern of findings was consistent with tumor location and additional treatment-related factors. Reliable change indices at her re-evaluation revealed declines in verbal and visual memory, with statistical, yet not clinical, improvements in different domains. Follow-up monitoring of comprehensive care continued to occur after neuropsychological evaluations. Conclusions: This case study assists in the characterization of initial and follow-up neuropsychological presentation of a primary CNS NET, where evaluations helped inform clinical care and functional recommendations. This case demonstrates the importance for neuropsychologists to have awareness of various conditions, even rare conditions, which can inform a systematic approach to research and clinical care with neuro-oncological populations.

Non-metastatic primary neuroendocrine neoplasms of the breast: a reference cancer center's experience of a heterogenous entity.

Primary neuroendocrine neoplasms of the breast (Br-NENs) are rare. The classification has been updated in recent years making interpretation of the data published challenging. It is unclear whether neuroendocrine differentiation is associated with poorer prognosis and what treatment approaches should be applied. The database for breast cancer patients treated between 2009 and 2022 at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Branch Krakow was explored to search for Br-NENs. Patients' medical and pathological data were collected and analyzed. We included 22 females with Br-NEN without metastases at the time of diagnosis. The median age was 64 years (range: 28-88), Of the cases, 18 were hormone receptor positive, all were HER-2 negative, the median Ki67 was 27% (10-100%). The median tumor size at the time of diagnosis was 29.5mm (7-75mm), 9 patients were N-positive. DCIS was present in 5 cases. Only one case was negative for chromogranin and synaptophysin staining, but data were missing for 4 cases. Nine patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, mainly based on anthracyclines and taxanes, while 16 received adjuvant hormonal therapy and 15 received postoperative radiotherapy. Radical surgery was performed in all patients, but two underwent suboptimal tumorectomy. One patient had local recurrence, three experienced metastatic disease, all involving the lungs, but these patients are still alive. The median follow-up was 96 months (8-153). Two patients died, with a follow up time of no recurrence >4 years. Our results were compared to twelve case series collecting clinical data on Br-NENs, with median patient number of 10.5 (range: 3-142). Br-NENs represent a heterogenous group of diseases, lacking data from prospective studies or clinical trials. There are no established treatment standards tailored for Br-NENs. Our patients' cohort exhibited a favorable prognosis, potentially attributed to lower tumor stage and Ki67 index compared to other reported case series. We suggest that radical surgery and postoperative radiotherapy be administered akin to standard treatment for breast cancer of no special type. ESMO also advocates for this approach in systemic treatment, although we recommend considering platinum-based chemotherapy for patients with poorly differentiated Br-NENs exhibiting high Ki67.

Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Testis Associated With Cardiac Symptoms: A Case Report and Literature Review

Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Testis Associated With Cardiac Symptoms: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract PO2-16-11: Real-World Data of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of Breast

Abstract Background: Primary neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) of breast are rare and heterogeneous. WHO has classified NENs of non-endocrine organs into three distinct categories in 2022, however real-world data on outcomes of patients with NENs of non-endocrine organs under this new classification system are still sparse. Real world experience regarding demography, clinical presentation, treatment response, and prognosis can help identify potential areas of improvement in the management of breast NEN. Methods: Here, we present our findings from patients with NEN of breast in the Cleveland Clinic Foundation between 2000 and 2023. Pathology reports were reviewed to confirm NEN of breast origin. Neuroendocrine differentiation was determined by tumor histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC). For metastatic tumors at presentation, primary organ was determined by IHC and clinical presentation. Overall survival (OS) was from date of diagnosis of NEN. Recurrence is redemonstration of tumor following curative intent therapy, and progression is increase in tumor burden. T-test and log-rank test were used in statistical analyses. Results: Total of 97 patients were identified. Of these, 79 presented with localized disease, 18 were metastatic at presentation. 88 (91%) were invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), and 64 (81%) were local disease at presentation and rest were metastatic. Gender spread was 92:5 (F:M). Patients with ER + disease was 84/96, PR + disease was 71, and 4/93 patients had overexpression of HER2. Median age was 70 at diagnosis. 11 patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 15 patients underwent adjuvant chemotherapy (AC), and 58/84 patients underwent hormonal adjuvant therapy. For localized disease, median recurrence free survival (RFS) was 165 months (144-NA), and recurrence rate was 8/79 (10%). Recurrence rate for local IDC was 10% (6/64). Patients with metastatic disease at presentation had a median progression free survival (PFS) of 30 months, and progression rate was 7/18 (39%). For patients with metastatic disease, median lines of palliative therapy used was 2, with median duration of first line treatment being 3.5 months, and 10 months for second line. Most common surgical procedure was mastectomy, with 37% of patients undergoing management. Median duration from diagnostic biopsy to definitive surgery was 1 month. Median follow up was 28 months. Most common hormonal adjuvant option was anastrozole (58%), most common AC regimen was docetaxel and cyclophosphamide (39%), and most common first line palliative agent was letrozole (42%). Patients who underwent AC did not reach median OS, and patients who did not receive AC had a median OS of 148 months (p=0.8). Patients with grade 3 tumors had a median OS of 58.6 months, and grade 1 and 2 had a median OS of 148.1 months (p=0.5). Discussion: Current treatment strategies for NEN of breast mirror those of non-NEN of breast with similar histology and stage based on extrapolation of data. Recurrence rate was similar between IDC and SPC. In our cohort, survival was not significantly dependent on grade and use of AC. This might be due to the number of patients included in our study, as there was a non-significant trend towards lower OS in patients with high-grade neoplasms, and further limitations from retrospective design of study. Further research towards benefit of AC in NEN of breast and prognostic value of grading is necessary to explore management options in comparison to non-NEN of the breast. Citation Format: Serhan Unlu, Olisaemeka Ogbue, Gloria Lewis, Abdo Haddad, Hamed Daw, Baidehi Maiti. Real-World Data of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of Breast [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-16-11.

Clinicopathological Findings and Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Primary Hepatobiliary Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Retrospective Single-institution Analysis.

Objective Primary hepatobiliary neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are rare tumors exhibiting several morphological and behavioral characteristics. Considering the lack of relevant data on this topic, we evaluated the clinicopathological features and treatment outcomes of patients with primary hepatobiliary NENs. Methods/Patients We examined 43 consecutive patients treated at the National Cancer Center Hospital with pathological diagnoses of primary hepatobiliary NEN between 1980 and 2016. Results Nine patients were diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor (NET) G1, 9 with NET G2, and 25 with neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) based on the World Health Organization 2019 classification. Patients with NEC had primary sites across the hepatobiliary organs, although sites in patients with NET G1 and NET G2 only included the liver and ampulla of Vater. Patients with primary extrahepatic bile duct or ampulla of Vater NENs tended to be diagnosed earlier than patients with primary gallbladder NENs. The median survival times in the NET G1, NET G2, and NEC groups were 167.9, 97.4, and 11.1 months, respectively. A good performance status, absence of distant metastases, and low tumor grade were identified as independent predictors of a favorable prognosis. Conclusion The NET-to-NEC ratio and tumor stage distribution at the diagnosis differed depending on the primary site. Patients with G1 and G2 NETs who underwent surgical resection had good prognoses, whereas those with NEC exhibited more advanced disease and poorer prognoses. The performance status, staging classification, and tumor grade are important factors to consider when devising an appropriate treatment strategy and predicting the prognoses of patients with primary hepatobiliary NEN.

Testicular Primary Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumor: Clinicopathologic, Immunohistochemical, and Molecular Characterization of Two Patients.

Well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor rarely occurs as a testicular primary tumor, accounting for less than 1% of all testicular cancers, and is rarely reported with sufficient molecular profiles. After searching our departmental database (2003-2023), two testicular primary well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors were identified in a 35-year-old man and a 23-year-old man, respectively, both of whom had normal serum level of tumor markers. Both tumors grossly exhibited solid, yellow-tan, and homogeneous appearance and histologically displayed a mixture of growth patterns, including organoid, tubular, cribriform, nests, cords, and single cells, were composed of eosinophilic tumor cells with salt-and-pepper chromatin and indistinct cell borders. Immunoreactivity for chromogranin and synaptophysin were detected, with Ki-67 labeling 9% and 2% of tumor cells on counting of 500 tumor cells, respectively. There was no germ cell neoplasia in situ in the background testicular parenchyma. Furthermore, fluorescence in situ hybridization failed to identify the presence of isochromosome 12p in both tumors. A panel-based next-generation sequencing was done in one of tumors and showed no reportable pathogenic variants with a mutation burden of 0.5 mutations per megabase. Although elevated mitotic figures (up to 6 per 10 high power fields), lymphovascular invasion and marked nuclear pleomorphism were present in this tumor, there was no evidence of disease detected in this patient via Dotatate positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan after the surgery. This report expands the spectrum of testicular primary well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. Considering its rarity, it may pose a diagnostic challenge or pitfall in certain clinical circumstances. In addition, the literature pertaining to this entity is herein reviewed.

Successful Correction of the Misdiagnosis of a Primary Liver Neuroendocrine Tumour with a Combination of Immunohistochemical and Radiological Assessments: Report of a Rare Case from Pakistan

Human neuroendocrine tumours arise in different organs including most frequently in the gall bladder, kidneys, and ovaries or testicles. Liver neuroendocrine tumours are rarer types that grow slowly and arise from neuroendocrine cells. A 50-year-old woman with a history of type 1 diabetes mellitus and hypertension presented with severe abdominal pain, fever, pallor and jaundice over two days. She had not history of cancer. Initially, she was treated medically with Ciproxin, Entamizole, Zentel, and Nospa, but her symptoms were not resolved, and she was referred for gastroduodenal endoscopy, radiological and blood tests. The gastroduodenal endoscopic evaluation revealed severe gastritis with mild erythema in the corpus and antrum of the stomach with no evidence of esophagitis or duodenitis. At the time of initial diagnosis, the patient was asymptomatic for a liver neuroendocrine tumour as she did not have anemia, weight loss, abdominal distension, severe abdominal pain, or a palpable right upper quadrant mass. The radiological investigations, abdominal and pelvic ultrasound and computed tomography scan, detected hepatomegaly with a mass of an internal necrotic area in left lobe and smaller lesions in the right lobe. Liver core biopsies taken from the left lobe contained hepatocellular carcinoma. After a hepatectomy of the left lobe, the patient was stable and managed with intravenous fluid, analgesics, antibiotics, and antiemetic drugs and was discharged. Hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed in the resection specimen. The resected tumour tissue was analysed through immunohistochemistry for presence of Sheppard, arginase, Cam5.2 and CDX-2, heppar, arginase, PAX8, Albumin ISH, CK7, CK20 and INSM1, synaptophysin, chromogranin, Ki67, Synaptophysin, Cytokeratin AE1/AE3, synaptophysin, CD56, and Glypican-3. Consequently, liver neuroendocrine cancer was diagnosed. The patient was treated with Sandostatin for 7 days to treat the neuroendocrine tumour. Following a left hepatectomy, post-surgery endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) showed normal ampullary mucosa and successful surgical biliary drainage was observed for almost 45 days with bile drain effluent between 20-230 ml. In this case, the differentiation of this liver neuroendocrine tumour from hepatocellular carcinoma, hyper vascular hepatic lesions based upon detection of chromogranin, CK7, CK20, HepPar1, Ki67 allowed appropriate clinical management of the patient. During radiological analysis, it was confirmed that the liver mass was not metastasized from the primary tumour of the stomach or colon.

Peritoneal metastases in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms: a challenging site of metastases with clinical and prognostic implications.

Peritoneal metastases (PM) of neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) origin are identified with increasing frequency and exert a significant effect on quality of life and clinical status of the patients. The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics and the prognostic significance of PM in patients with NENs. A retrospective analysis of the data of patients from two tertiary referral centers was performed. We defined a control group of age- and gender-matched NEN patients with comparable stage IV disease but no PM. We analysed 70 patients (41 females) with PM. Small intestine was the most common primary NEN site (87.1%). PM prevalence was 10.3%. Forty-four patients presented with synchronous PM, whereas 26 developed metachronous PM. The majority of patients had other concomitant metastases (50 hepatic, 6 lung and 12 bone metastases). Twelve patients developed intestinal obstruction. After PM diagnosis, 76% of patients received treatment with somatostatin analogues while six patients (8.6%) were treated with peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). The median progression-free survival (PFS) in the PRRT-treated group was 15months (95% CI 2-28). Median overall survival (OS) in the PM group was 142months [95% CI 71-213] while it was not reached in the control group. Peritoneal metastases show low prevalence among NEN patients and are most likely to develop in patients with small intestinal NENs and advanced metastatic disease. The presence of PM does seem to be associated with a negative prognostic impact on OS of NEN patients and their identification and prompt treatment is of major importance.

Primary neuroendocrine tumor of the liver

Neuroendocrine tumors generally originate in the digestive tract or pancreas, developing liver metastases throughout their evolution. The presence of a primary neuroendocrine tumor of the liver is still controversial and there are very few cases. We present a case of a primary neuroendocrine tumor of the liver confirmed by anatomo-pathological study and images. The patient underwent two major liver resections, lastly preserving only segment IV.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of Primary Orbital Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs): Systematic Literature Review and Clinical Case Presentation.

The ocular involvement of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) is uncommon and mainly represented by metastases from gastrointestinal and lung neuroendocrine tumors. Primary orbital NENs are even less common and their diagnostic and therapeutic management is a challenge. A systematic review of the literature was conducted from 1966 to September 2023 on PubMed to identify articles on orbital NENs and to summarize their clinical-pathological features, diagnosis and therapeutic management. Furthermore, we presented a case of a locally advanced retro-orbital primary neuroendocrine tumor that was referred to the certified Center of Excellence of Sant'Andrea Hospital, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. The final analysis included 63 records on orbital NENs and 11 records focused on primary orbital NENs. The localization was mostly unilateral and in the right orbit; proptosis or exophthalmos represented the initial symptoms. The diagnostic work-up and therapeutic management was discussed and a diagnostic algorithm for the suspicion of primary orbital NENs was proposed. A multidisciplinary approach is required for the management of primary orbital NENs, emphasizing the importance of early referral to dedicated centers for prompt differential diagnosis, tailored treatment, and an improved quality of life and survival.

Primary Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumor/Carcinoid of the Prostate: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Primary well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (WDNT)/carcinoid of the genitourinary tract is rare. Many WDNT reported in the prostate gland have been seen in close association with conventional prostatic adenocarcinoma and/or label for prostate-specific immunohistochemical markers and are best considered prostatic adenocarcinomas with "carcinoid-like" features. We present a case of primary WDNT/carcinoid incidentally detected in a 67-year-old man who underwent radical prostatectomy for Grade group 2 prostatic adenocarcinoma. Morphologically, the neuroendocrine (NE) lesion appeared distinct from the prostatic adenocarcinoma, labeled for NE markers, was negative for prostatic markers (NKX3.1, PSA, and ERG), and showed an overall low Ki-67 proliferation index (<1%). Follow-up was uneventful with no evidence of residual disease or metastasis.

PITX2 as a Sensitive and Specific Marker of Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumors: Results from a Cohort of 1157 Primary Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

As neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) often present as metastatic lesions, immunohistochemical assignment to a site of origin is one of the most important tasks in their pathologic assessment. Because a fraction of NETs eludes the typical expression profiles of their primary localization, additional sensitive and specific markers are required to improve diagnostic certainty.We investigated the expression of the transcription factor Pituitary Homeobox 2 (PITX2) in a large-scale cohort of 909 NET and 248 neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) according to the immunoreactive score (IRS) and correlated PITX2 expression groups with general tumor groups and primary localization.PITX2 expression (all expression groups) was highly sensitive (98.1%) for midgut-derived NET, but not perfectly specific, as non–midgut NET (especially pulmonary/duodenal) were quite frequently weak or moderately positive. The specificity rose to 99.5% for a midgut origin of NET if only a strong PITX2 expression was considered, which was found in only 0.5% (one pancreatic/one pulmonary) of non–midgut NET. In metastases of midgut-derived NET, PITX2 was expressed in all cases (87.5% strong, 12.5% moderate), whereas CDX2 was negative or only weakly expressed in 31.3% of the metastases. In NEC, a fraction of cases (14%) showed a weak or moderate PITX2 expression, which was not associated with a specific tumor localization.Our study independently validates PITX2 as a very sensitive and specific immunohistochemical marker of midgut-derived NET in a very large collective of neuroendocrine neoplasms. Therefore, our data argue toward implementation into diagnostic panels applied for NET as a firstline midgut marker.

Comments on and illustrations of the WFUMB CEUS liver guidelines: Rare malignant neuroendocrine and predominant epithelioid liver lesions.

The diagnosis or rare, non-hematologic malignant lesions of the liver may be a challenge owing to the rarity of the disease, and is usually made by histological confirmation. Ultrasound with color Doppler and contrast-enhanced, if required, taking into account the clinical background of the patient, may help to focus the differential diagnosis. In this review, we describe the pathological and ultrasound features of rare malignant neuroendocrine and predominantly epithelioid liver lesions including primary neuroendocrine tumor of the liver, Invasive mucinous cystic neoplasm of the liver, and also hepatoblastoma.

Imaging and Histopathological Features Of Primary Thymic Neuroendocrine Tumor.

To investigate CT, MRI, and PET/CT features with histopathological findings of primary thymic neuroendocrine tumor. All 9 cases with pathologically proven primary thymic neuroendocrine tumors were reviewed retrospectively. Among them, 7 underwent enhanced CT, 1 with MRI (enhanced) and another with PET/CT scan. Multiple characters were examined, including tumor location, contour, CT attenuation, enhancement pattern, involvement of surrounding structure and lymphadenopathy. Among 9 patients studied, 7 (77%) masses were located in the anterior superior mediastinum, 1 in the anterior superior-middle mediastinum, and 1 in the anterior and middle mediastinum. The maximum diameter (longitudinal) ranged from 4.2 to 23 cm (mean ± standard deviation, 9.5 cm ± 2.8). Four masses had irregular, 3 had lobulated, and 2 had smooth contours, while 8 masses had clear margins and 1 had an ill-defined margin. Six masses showed heterogeneous attenuation with necrotic/cystic component (n=5), calcification (n=2) and hemorrhage(n=1), and 3 showed homogeneous attenuation on the non-enhanced image. After contrast administration, 8 masses showed heterogeneous attenuation, and 1 showed homogeneous attenuation with tumor vessels visible in 4 masses. Among all, 8 masses showed strong enhancement, and 1 showed moderate enhancement in comparison to muscles in the anterior thoracic wall on enhanced images. Involvement of adjacent mediastinal structures was observed in 5 cases. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the tumor cells were positive for CgA, Syn, CK, CD56 and EMA. Primary NETs are large masses located anterior superior mediastinum, irregular in contour, showing heterogeneous attenuation with necrotic/cystic component and strong heterogeneous enhancement with tumor vessels, compressing local mediastinal structures. In addition, immunohistochemical examination is required in such a diagnosis.

Primary Ocular Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: A Case Report

Ocular primary neuroendocrine tumors are extremely rare. We report the case of a patient admitted for further management of an eye lost due to a tumor of the ciliary process of the left eye, the patient rbenefited from enucleation with placement of an ocular prosthesis, the anatomo-pathological examination was in favor of a neuroendocrine carcinoma, with no secondary localization.

Primary perihilar bile duct neuroendocrine tumor: a case report and review of the literature

Primary perihilar bile duct neuroendocrine tumor: a case report and review of the literature

INSM1 Expression in Primary and Metastatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms at distinct locations

BackgroundInsulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) has been reported as a valuable marker for neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). The aims of this study were to evaluate any change in INSM1 expression between primary and metastatic NENs in distinct locations, as well as the expression of INSM1 at different differentiation levels. Furthermore, we would also investigate the significance of INSM1 expression in non-neuroendocrine neoplasms (non-NENs). MethodsWe collected 78 cases with primary NENs and 16 cases with metastatic NENs. An addition 7 cases of non-NENs with neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation and 84 cases of other non-NENs, respectively, were included as controls. ResultsIn our cohort, 82% of primary NENs and 88% of metastatic NENs expressed INSM1 with no difference between them. There was no difference in the expression of INSM1 in the lung and digestive system, and its staining pattern was independent of tumor differentiation or location. The proportion of INSM1 -positive in non-NENs with NE differentiation was significantly higher than that in other non-NENs. INSM1 sensitivity for primary NENs (82%) was comparable to Chromogranin A (82%), less than that of Synaptophysin (96%) and CD56 (94%); specificity was higher (96% vs 94%, 82%, and 89%, respectively). The sensitivity of INSM1 for well differentiated NENs was significantly higher than that of poorly differentiated NENs (100% vs 79%). ConclusionsINSM1 is a useful neuroendocrine marker in primary and metastatic NENs, helping to identify primary NENs with different degrees of differentiation. The expression of INSM1 was independent of tumor location. It should be with caution to interpret the expression of INSM1 in non-NENs that morphologically resemble NENs.

Normal physiological distribution and tumor localization of 64 CuCl 2 in different human malignancies along with semiquantitative scoring: a comparative evaluation with 18 Fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 FDG) PET-CT.

This study aimed to explore 64-Copper-Chloride ( 64 CuCl 2 ) PET-CT in various malignancies and demonstrate a head-to-head comparison of uptake on 64 CuCl 2 PET/computed tomography (CT) and 18 fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 FDG)-PET/CT scans for different malignancies, with an emphasis on 18 FDG nonavid malignancies. Fifty-three patients diagnosed with various biopsy-proven malignancies (except prostate cancer) were recruited in this prospective study. All the patients underwent both 64 CuCl 2 PET/CT and 18 FDG-PET/CT. 64 CuCl 2 PET/CT was acquired at 1, 3 and 24 h time points. We studied the physiological biodistribution of 64 CuCl 2 in the various organs, corroborated the uptake of 64 CuCl 2 with various types of malignancies and comparison of their uptake with 18 FDG-PET/CT and their correlation with each other in various lesions. The biodistribution study showed that the liver concentrated 64 CuCl 2 the most out of all the organs, followed by the pancreas and large intestine. Liver and intestinal activity increased subsequently with delayed imaging, and the washout of 64 CuCl 2 was noted in the pancreas in delayed images and followed a hepatobiliary excretion of tracer over a period of time. In lesion-wise analysis, it was noted that the primary neuroendocrine tumor, melanoma and renal/urothelial malignancy group showed more uptake of 64 CuCl 2 , than that in metastasis and vice-versa was noted in lung and soft tissue malignancies. Comparing it with 18 FDG, it was seen that FDG showed more uptake in lesions and showed no significant correlation (Kappa value: 0.089) with the uptake of 64 CuCl 2 in the lesion-wise comparison. 64 CuCl 2 PET/CT did not show any added advantage over 18 FDG-PET/CT in the evaluation of the studied malignancies, both primary and their metastasis. Biodistribution studies showed the liver as the organ with maximum uptake, which implies it may hinder the detection of abdominal or hepatic involvement of the disease.

Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of cervical lymph node masquerading as non-Hodgkin lymphoma: A diagnostic challenge

ABSTRACT A large extended family of tumors classified as neuroendocrine tumors most commonly occurs in the gastrointestinal tract and bronchus pulmonary tree. It is extremely unusual for a primary neuroendocrine tumor to present as a cervical lymph node mass at initial presentation. We discuss the rare case of a 55-year-old man who initially complained of a right neck mass that was misinterpreted as non-Hodgkin lymphoma on fine needle aspiration cytology. By integrating clinical findings, radiography, fine-needle aspiration cytology, histomorphology, and immunohistochemistry analysis, a definitive diagnosis of primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervical lymph node was made. He received chemotherapy and decompressive radiation as treatment. Regarding the course of disease in the present case, the patients underwent a distant subcutaneous metastasis over the right anterior chest wall 10 months after the initial manifestation. The patient is still alive, albeit his general condition has gotten deteriorated, and he is getting regular follow-ups.

Imaging Characteristics and Pathological Analysis of Primary Hepatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

To investigate the radiological characteristics of the PHNENs on CT and MRI and improve the understanding of the image manifestations and preoperative diagnosis of the disease. Primary hepatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PHNENs) are rare diseases, and most of the relevant studies are case reports. Characterized by no specific clinical symptoms, PHNENs not only have a low preoperative diagnosis rate with great difficulty in early diagnosis but are frequently misdiagnosed as primary hepatic cancer. 15 PHNEN patients were enrolled, with 10 cases in the G2 stage and 5 cases in the G3 stage. The imaging and clinicopathological information of 15 patients pathologically diagnosed with PHNENs was retrospectively reviewed. The average age of the patients enrolled was 46.14±18.24 years, and the average tumor size was 91.00±61.17 mm. 13 cases showed nodules or masses, 8 cases were located in the periphery of the liver, showing capsule depression and subcapsular effusion signs. CT enhanced scan showed heterogeneous and obvious enhancement in 9 arterial-phase cases, 2 cases in arterial and portal venous phases both saw mild enhancement; the enhancement degree of lesions in the G2 stage in the arterial phase was significantly higher than in the G3 stage. Gd-EOB-DTPA dynamic enhanced MRI was conducted on 3 cases, and scattered lesions with heterogeneous and slight hyperintensity were observed in the hepatobiliaryspecific lesions. Image manifestations showed diffuse lesions in 2 cases, with heterogeneous enhancement in the arterial phase and decreased enhancement in the portal venous phase by the dynamic enhanced scan. PHNENs were the imaging characteristics of PHNENs. The CT-enhanced scanning during the arterial phase may provide a certain reference for pathological grading (G2 and G3 grades). Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI is helpful for PHNEN diagnosis.