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. 1997 May;50(5):440–442. doi: 10.1136/jcp.50.5.440

Widespread neuroendocrine malignancy within the central nervous system: a diagnostic conundrum.

D J Hopster 1, S F Robinson 1, L Chadwick 1, J F Geddes 1
PMCID: PMC499951  PMID: 9215132

Abstract

A 75 year old female presented with a sellar tumour, and was subsequently found also to have a cauda equina tumour, a parietal dural tumour, a pontine tumour, an intradural spinal tumour, and several vertebral body tumours. Histological examination revealed a neuroendocrine tumour forming cell nests surrounded by reticulin. There was moderate nuclear pleomorphism, prominent mitoses, and focal necrosis. Immunohistochemistry showed diffuse positive staining with cytokeratins, chromogranin and 5-hydroxytryptamine, and focal positive staining with S100. This case is an unusual and ultimately insoluble, diagnostic problem; however, the differential diagnoses include pituitary carcinoma, malignant paraganglioma, and atypical carcinoid.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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