Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas diagnosed by aspiration cytology. A case report.
Cytologic criteria for distinguishing endocrine from exocrine carcinomas of the pancreas have not been previously elucidated. A case is presented in which the diagnosis of neuroendocrine carcinoma was made on fine needle aspirates of a pancreatic mass and hepatic metastases in a 33-year-old female. Cytologically, the aspirated tumor resembled an intermediate-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung rather than the usual duct-cell adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Histologic sections of the subsequently resected primary pancreatic mass revealed a neuroendocrine carcinoma of an intermediate-cell type. Ultrastructurally, the characteristic interlacing cytoplasmic processes with scanty granules were seen. Immunoreactive neuron-specific enolase (NSE), leuenkephalin, substance P and somatostatin were present in the tumor cells in Bouin's-fixed cell blocks of the aspirate; neuron-specific enolase, somatostatin and gastrin were detected in the paraffin-embedded sections of the resected tumor. This variant of pancreatic carcinoma merits recognition as a cytologically distinct group, which shares many of the features described in its bronchopulmonary and gastrointestinal counterparts.
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B F
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Myrent
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KL
Memoli
V A
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Gould
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D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D013373:Substance P; D013004:Somatostatin; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase