title: [Magnetic resonance imaging features of pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma: a literature review].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) manifestations of pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (PNC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 7 PNC patients as confirmed by pathological examination were analyzed retrospectively and the relevant literatures discussed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among them, 2 patients were misdiagnosed for benign tumor lesion, one for SPT and another for pancreatic cancer with liver metastasis. And 3 were diagnosed correctly. The lesions showed irregular or lobulated shapes: 5 in body and tail of pancreas and 2 in head of pancreas. All lesions were hypointense on T(1)WI. They were iso- to slightly hyperintense (n = 5) and heterogeneously hyperintense (n = 2) on T(2)WI. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI was performed in all. There were slight enhancement (n = 2) and moderate enhancement (n = 5) during arterial phase. During interstitial and delayed phases, there were gradual enhancement (n = 2) and less enhancement (n = 5) than pancreatic parenchyma. There were metastasis of lymph nodes (n = 1), splenic metastasis (n = 2), liver metastasis (n = 1) and invasion of pancreatic capsule (n = 3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to the lack of MRI specificities, a definite diagnosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma must be made by pathological examination and immunohistochemistry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Hai-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xin-Kun
authors.initials: XK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Hui-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*