Atypical Presentation of Small Bowel Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Leading to Acute Obstruction

TL;DR

A rare case of small bowel neuroendocrine carcinoma presented as acute intestinal obstruction and was treated with surgery.

Contribution

Reports an atypical presentation of small bowel neuroendocrine carcinoma and its management.

Findings

The patient presented with acute intestinal obstruction caused by a neuroendocrine tumor.

Treatment involved resection and anastomosis of the affected small bowel and surrounding mesentery.

The case highlights the aggressive nature and atypical clinical features of neuroendocrine tumors.

Abstract

Rare neoplasms called neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) develop from intestinal enterochromaffin cells. They commonly produce symptoms through the secretion of serotonin along with other vasoactive peptides, resulting in carcinoid syndrome, characterized by cutaneous flushing and diarrhea. NETs are a very aggressive type of cancer, for which prognostic factors are lacking. They are also rarely found in males and young adults. Carcinoid tumors make up an atypical and intricate disease spectrum with various clinical features. The combination of etoposide and carboplatin can enhance overall survival in complex WHO stage 3 neuroendocrine carcinoma with regional lymph node involvement and a generally poor prognosis. However, in the absence of distant metastasis and with a relatively fair performance index, this treatment may be more effective. In this instance, we report a neuroendocrine tumor case that presented unusually as an acute intestinal obstruction. The patient had resection and anastomosis of the small bowel of the affected region along with the surrounding mesentery.

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