title: Roentgenological occult large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: Report of a long-term survivor.
abstract: A 64-year-old male patient complained of a one-month history of bloody sputum. A polypoid tumor was almost obstructing the orifice of the subsegmental bronchus (B8b) of the anterior basal segment of the right lower lobe on bronchoscopy. Biopsy specimens of the tumor surface yielded a diagnosis of undifferentiated carcinoma. Clinical staging was T1aN0M0, stage IA. Surgical resection that comprised a right upper lobectomy with systematic mediastinal and hilar lymph node dissection was performed. Histopathologically, the tumor specimen was compatible with large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the subsegmental bronchus. Pathological staging was T1aN0M0, stage IA. To our knowledge, few cases of central-type LCNEC have been reported in the English literature, and ours is the first report of roentgenological occult LCNEC.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, 3-21-36 Asahi-Cho, Gunma 371-0014, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiyoshihara
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, 3-21-36 Asahi-Cho, Gunma 371-0014, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ibe
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, 3-21-36 Asahi-Cho, Gunma 371-0014, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Igai
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, 3-21-36 Asahi-Cho, Gunma 371-0014, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawatani
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takise
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Visceral Organ Surgery, Gunma Graduate University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kimihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
keywords: Endobronchial tumor; Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma; Prognosis; Roentgenological occult lung cancer