A case of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the gallbladder diagnosed by EUS-guided fine needle aspiration and treated by effective chemotherapy

• Published in: Tando Vol. 37; no. 5; pp. 880 - 886
• Main Authors: Koshitani, Tatsuya, Konaka, Yoshitomo, Mita, Masaki, Miyake, Toshihiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Biliary Association 31.12.2023; 一般社団法人 日本胆道学会
• Subjects: EUS-FNA; gallbladder; neuroendocrine carcinoma; 神経内分泌癌; 胆嚢
• ISSN: 0914-0077; 1883-6879
• DOI: 10.11210/tando.37.880

A 65-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for the treatment of obstructive jaundice. She had received chemotherapy under the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer and multiple lymph node metastasis. She had an oval-shaped tumor with contrast effect in the gallbladder body and enlargement of porta hepatis and paraaortic lymph nodes on contrast-enhanced CT scan. The lesions revealed decreased diffusivity on diffusion weighted images of MRI. After EUS-guided biliary drainage, EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) was performed for a peripancreatic lymph node and immunohistology examinations showed neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). The patient had combined chemotherapy of carboplatin and etoposide, which resulted in progressive disease during the second course. Percutaneous biopsy from the liver invaded by gallbladder tumor revealed similar pathological findings to that acquired with EUS-FNA. Although the therapeutic effect on this patient was limited, EUS-FNA may give a correct therapeutic strategy for even rare diseases.