Hepatic neuroendocrine tumour
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Matt A. Morgan had no recorded disclosures.
View Matt A. Morgan's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Dalia Ibrahim had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Dalia Ibrahim's current disclosures- Peripheral neuroendocrine tumor of the liver
- Argentaffinoma
- APUD-oma of liver
- Hepatic carcinoids
- Peripheral neuroendocrine tumour of the liver
- Hepatic NET
- Hepatic NETs
- Hepatic carcinoid
- Hepatic neuroendocrine tumors
Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumours (carcinoids) is an extremely rare type of neuroendocrine tumour, with somewhere between 60-90 cases reported in the literature. Metastatic neuroendocrine tumour from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver is far more common.
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Clinical presentation
Some patients present with carcinoid syndrome. Elevated 5-HIAA and/or gastrin levels have been reported.
Pathology
Histologically, the tumour has features of classic neuroendocrine tumour (i.e. trabecular and pseudoglandular pattern) and dense core granules demonstrated by electron microscopy or by immunohistochemistry (i.e. positive staining by chromogranin antibody).
There is speculation that the tumour might arise from ectopic pancreatic tissue in the liver or through differentiation from biliary epithelium.3
Radiographic features
Currently, there are no specific imaging features, and cases are diagnosed retrospectively. One case report described an imaging appearance on ultrasound and contrast-enhanced CT similar to focal nodular hyperplasia.2 Somatostatin-receptor nuclear medicine studies (In-111 pentetreotide (Octreoscan)) should be positive.
Given the rarity of the finding, a thorough investigation for an extrahepatic primary carcinoid tumour is necessary.
Treatment and prognosis
No standard treatment exists. Surgical resection has been performed.
References
- 1. Schwartz G, Colanta A, Gaetz H et-al. Primary carcinoid tumors of the liver. World J Surg Oncol. 2008;6 (1): 91. doi:10.1186/1477-7819-6-91 - Free text at pubmed - Pubmed citation
- 2. Ulusan S, Kizilkilic O, Yildirim T et-al. Primary hepatic carcinoid tumor: dynamic CT findings. Abdom Imaging. 2005;30 (3): 281-5. doi:10.1007/s00261-004-0241-0 - Pubmed citation
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