Esophageal Neuroendocrine Tumor: Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Neuroendocrine tumors, also called neuroendocrine carcinomas, are those that form in
any region of the neuroendocrine system. Although they are more common in the gastrointestinal tract
(67.5%), their appearance in the esophagus is rare. Another important characteristic is its slow growth
and low degree of aggressiveness.
Case report: A46-year-old male patient, seeking care for progressive phagia for solidspathstenoses
digestive endoscopy that showed the diagnosis of distal esophagus whose anatomoological and
immunohistochemical was of a neuroendocrine esophageal tumor. Subjected to staging, there were
numerous liver metastases and lymph node enlargement of the celiac trunk, and palliative treatment was
chosen. The patient had an unfavorable evolution, progressing to jaundice, ascites, worsening of general
condition, progressed to death in about 3 months after diagnosis.
Discussion: The incidence and prevalence of neuroendocrine esophageal tumor has been increasing
since 1970 due to the modernization of diagnostic techniques. Despite the increase in diagnostic
capacity, this pathology remains rare, corresponding to 0.15% - 2.80% of esophageal carcinomas. The
median survival time for patients with this neoplasm is 22.4 months, having a totally different evolution
from other neuroendocrine tumors of the digestive tract..