[Poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma of the colon].
Small-cell endocrine carcinoma is a particularly aggressive form of endocrine carcinoma characterized by its rapid and early metastatic dissemination. We report a 59-year-old man who presented with abdominal pain as the initial manifestation of a colonic small-cell endocrine carcinoma with early liver metastases and poor prognosis. Poorly differentiated endocrine carcinomas are rare tumours that generally occur in the lung, but are exceptionally localized in other sites. Generally, these tumours have an aggressive behaviour with early metastatic spread, and curative surgical resection is often impossible. Despite aggressive chemotherapy, these extended tumours have an unfavourable outcome.
Saint-Blancard
P
P
Service d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologiques, hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Percy, 101, avenue Henri-Barbusse, 92141 Clamart cedex, France. psbpercy@yahoo.fr
Hervouet
M
M
Chapuis
O
O
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D002432:Cecum / Q000473:pathology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging