title: Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor: successful hepatectomy in two cases and review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor represents an extremely rare clinical entity with only very few cases having been reported to date.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case histories of 2 patients with presumably primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor were analyzed and a complete follow-up obtained. The literature was reviewed to provide comprehensive data collection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both patients underwent partial hepatic resection. Histomorphologic diagnosis revealed a neuroendocrine tumor in both cases. Extensive preoperative as well as intra- and postoperative search for the primary tumor did not identify another site of neuroendocrine tumor tissue. Six and ten years after hepatic segmentectomy, the 2 patients are alive and show no clinical signs of malignancy. Their most recent thorough follow-up included computed tomography and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. Neither a nonhepatic primary neuroendocrine tumor site nor recurrent disease was found in the 2 patients. The literature review resulted in a complete survey of all previously reported cases of primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the liver was the primary site of the neuroendocrine tumor in both patients. Radical surgery was successfully performed as the only treatment option with curative intention.
authors: Department of Surgery, Humboldt University Medical School, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
authors: R I
authors: RI
authors: Rückert
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Rückert
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Dörffel
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Rudolph
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Müller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*