title: Poorly differentiated small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the submandibular gland: a case report.
abstract: Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is uncommon in the head and neck and rare in the salivary glands. In the latter location, it may manifest as pain or a palpable mass. These tumors can be quite aggressive, with a tendency toward recurrence and regional and distant metastasis. Because of the limited number of reported cases in the literature, no reliable treatment has been established. We describe the case of a 79-year-old man who presented with a persistent submandibular mass that was suspicious for a malignancy on imaging. Following surgical resection and histopathologic analysis, a diagnosis of poorly differentiated small-cell NEC was made. The patient was further treated with postoperative chemotherapy, and he exhibited no evidence of recurrence or metastasis on follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scaduto
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matrka
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wakely
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D016708:Synaptophysin
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016708:Synaptophysin