Pancreatic metastasis resulting from thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report

Du,Yang; Wang,Ying; Tang,Jie; Ge,Jun; Qin,Qing; Jiang,Li; Liu,Xiaoke; Zhu,Xianglan; Wang,Yongsheng

doi:10.3892/ol.2016.4112

Pancreatic metastasis resulting from thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report

Authors:
- Yang Du
- Ying Wang
- Jie Tang
- Jun Ge
- Qing Qin
- Li Jiang
- Xiaoke Liu
- Xianglan Zhu
- Yongsheng Wang
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Affiliations: Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China, Department of East Ward Oncology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, P.R. China, Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
Published online on: January 14, 2016 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2016.4112
Pages: 1907-1910

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Abstract

Thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is a rare type of cancer. Unlike other thymic epithelial tumors and carcinoids originating in other locations, thymic NEC possesses a more aggressive biological behavior, including invasion to proximal structures, local recurrence and distant hematogenous metastasis. Distant metastasis is often observed in the bones, lungs, spleen, liver and adrenal glands. However, pancreatic metastasis resulting from thymic NEC is extremely uncommon, and only a few cases of patients with this disease have been reported. The current study presents the case of a patient with pancreatic metastasis resulting from thymic NEC. The patient was admitted to hospital with an anterior mediastinal neoplasm, which was identified using chest enhanced computed tomography. The patient underwent a monobloc excision of the tumor with resection of involved structures. Subsequently, a pathological diagnosis of atypical thymic carcinoid was provided, according to the morphological characteristics observed and the expression of neuroendocrine markers, as identified by immunohistochemistry. Following surgery, the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, ~2 years after surgery, metastasis at the pancreatic head was identified. The patient underwent a total pancreatectomy and splenectomy, and did not receive any post‑operative therapies; however, the patient succumbed to the disease 9 months following surgery. Overall, the results from the present study demonstrate the clinical features of thymic NEC, which may aid with the diagnosis of this rare disease in other patients.

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