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Vol.41 No.3 contents | Japanese/English |
 | Full Text of PDF (436K) Article in Japanese |
- Case Report -
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma With Foci of Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma
Masaki Anraku1,2, Yukio Tsuura1, Seiji Igarashi1, Haruhisa Matsuguma2, Yukari Kamiyama3 and Kohei Yokoi2Divisions of Pathology1, Thoracic Surgery2, and Thoracic Diseases3, Tochigi Cancer Center
Background: Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a newly recognized histological concept of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung. Although its diagnostic criteria are clearly defined, there remain some difficulties in distinguishing it from other neuroendocrine tumors and poorly differentiated non-small cell lung carcinoma. Case: A 62-year-old woman was referred to our hospital, complaining of cough and sputum. Chest X-ray films and CT scans showed a lobular nodule in the right upper lobe of the lung. Right upper sleeve lobectomy was performed and pathologic examination of the resected specimen revealed small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) with foci of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Each area of the tumor was immunohistochemically positive for chromogranin A and synaptophysin. Conclusion: To distinguish LCNEC from SCLC is difficult, especially when SCLC shows conspicuous neuroendocrine morphology. At present, we cannot determine whether LCNEC is a distinctive independent subtype of neuroendocrine tumor of the lung or not, until the significant clinical differences from other tumors are shown.
key words: Small cell lung carcinoma, Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, WHO International histological classification, Histologic diagnosis
Received: February 5, 2001
Accepted: May 10, 2001
JJLC 41 (3): 259-263, 2001
