title: Multiple cardiac metastases from a nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.
abstract: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are rare neoplasms, which most commonly metastasize to the liver. However, intrathoracic metastases from pNETs are encountered infrequently. This report describes a case of nonfunctioning pNET with multiple cardiac metastases. A 56-year-old male presented with a palpable abdominal mass that showed progressive enlargement. Findings on computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed two relatively well-marginated inhomogeneous low-attenuation masses, one in the head of the pancreas and the other in the tail. Multiple enhancing masses in the left pericardium with myocardial involvement were observed on chest CT and transthoracic echocardiography. Needle biopsies were performed on the mass in the tail of the pancreas and the left ventricular apical pericardium; histologic examination by hematoxylin and eosin morphology and immunohistochemical staining showed pNET in both. This is the first report of pNET with multiple cardiac metastases to previously undescribed metastatic sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Hyeok
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hye-Suk
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Sung-Nam
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Sang Yeub
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji Hae
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Ok-Jun
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ki Hyeong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung Taik
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Heart neoplasms; Neoplasm metastasis; Neuroendocrine tumors; Pancreas