Table of Contents
Definition / general | Case reports | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Positive stains | Electron microscopy description | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Jain D. Neuroendocrine carcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/livertumorNEcarcinoma.html. Accessed March 19th, 2024.
Definition / general
- < 100 cases reported; mean age > 40 years, more common in women (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2003;127:1200)
- Normal serum AFP but high serum NSE, chromogranin and synaptophysin levels
- Not associated with chronic liver disease / cirrhosis
- Presents with diarrhea and abdominal pain
- Amphicrine carcinoma: glandular (signet ring morphology, mucicarmine, PASD+, villin+, CDX2+) and neuroendocrine differentiation in same cells (Ann Diagn Pathol 2011;15:355)
Case reports
- 50 year old man with collision tumor of HCC and high grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (Virchows Arch 2006;449:376)
Gross description
- Typically solitary, may be cystic
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Resembles poorly differentiated carcinomas with cellular pleomorphism, nuclear atypia, hyperchromasia and frequent mitotic figures
- May have signet ring morphology with intracytoplasmic vacuoles negative for mucin but positive for neuroendocrine markers (Semin Liver Dis 2010;30:422)
Positive stains
Electron microscopy description
- Dense core granules
Differential diagnosis
- Carcinoid tumor:
- Low (< 2/10 HPF) mitotic activity, minimal nuclear polymorphism