Gastric Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Presenting as Ascites in a Young Female

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 16; no. 7; p. e64964
• Main Authors: Bade, Yogesh, Gopal, Prashant, Dahale, Amol S, Karad, Abhijeet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 19.07.2024; Cureus
• Subjects: Abdomen; Antigens; Ascites; Biopsy; Chemotherapy; Endoscopy; Females; Gastroenterology; Gastrointestinal surgery; Hemoglobin; Internal Medicine; Leukocytes; Lymphatic system; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; Neuroendocrine tumors; Oncology; Patients; Stains & staining; Stomach; Tomography; Ultrasonic imaging; neuroendocrine tumor; gastric; ascites; carcinoma; endoscopic ultrasound
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.64964

Although neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) can occur in any organ, the majority of them occur in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. We present the case of a 27-year-old female who presented with ascites. She underwent an ascitic fluid analysis, an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDscopy) with biopsies, and a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, all of which culminated in a diagnosis of a poorly differentiated gastric NET (small cell type) with peritoneal metastasis. She was treated with cisplatin and etoposide. Depending on the differentiation and grade, NETs can manifest in a variety of ways. Definitive diagnosis requires histopathological examination and immunostaining. For smaller well-differentiated NETs, management is either endoscopic or surgical resection. For neuroendocrine carcinomas with metastasis, chemotherapy and symptomatic management are advised. This case report highlights the rare presentation of a neuroendocrine carcinoma as well as discusses its diagnostic approach and possible treatment options.