title: Small-cell neuroendocrine cancer of the prostate: an atypical presentation of a common disease.
abstract: A 70-year-old man with a history of prostate cancer, previously submitted to surgical castration and trans-urethral resection of the prostate, was admitted to Accident and Emergency department. He had been suffering from osteoarticular and abdominal pain, and recent weight loss. An abdominal and a pelvic CT showed multiple hepatic metastases and a pelvic mass, but his prostate-specific antigen values were low (0.26 n/mL). A biopsy of a hepatic metastasis and of the pelvic mass revealed a small-cell neuroendocrine prostate cancer, a rare and aggressive androgen-independent form of prostate cancer with a poor prognosis. Our purpose was to report a clinical case of a rare and aggressive variant of a common disease. A high index of suspicion is required to make an early diagnosis and to ensure a proper therapeutic approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Amato Lusitano, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1269-9181
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Amato Lusitano, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria Eufémia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Calmeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Amato Lusitano, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Urologia e Transplantação Renal, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Coelho
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000556:secondary*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000556:secondary*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen