title: Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the posterior mediastinum: a possible primary lesion.
abstract: A paravertebral mass was noted in the posterior mediastinum in a 47-year-old man. Microscopically, the tumor showed solid and trabecular patterns and consisted of poorly differentiated atypical cells that often formed Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettelike glands. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells expressed both epithelial and neuroendocrine markers, including cytokeratin (AE1/3), carcinoembryonic antigen, epithelial membrane antigen, neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin A, and synaptophysin, but were negative for CD99 (MIC2). Ultrastructurally, numerous desmosomes and neurosecretory granules were identified in the tumor cells. The present lesion was a primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the posterior mediastinum-an unusual site for such a lesion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tottori University Hospital, Tottori, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012272:Ribs / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor