J Korean Radiol Soc.  2000 Oct;43(4):467-474. 10.3348/jkrs.2000.43.4.467.

The Spectrum of Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Carcinomas: Radiologic and Pathologic Findings

• Kang EY

• KMID: 1945508
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.2000.43.4.467

Abstract

Pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma constitutes a spectrum of malignancies and histopathologically, is classified into four distinct subtypes. At one end of this spectrum are typical carcinoids, low grade carcinomas with a low incidence of metastasis and excellent prognosis following surgical resection. At the other end is small cell carcinoma which typically metastasize early in their course, and for which surgery is rarely curative. Atypical carcinoids have an intermediate grade of malignancy, and their prognosis is somewhere between that of typical carcinoids and small cell carcinoma. Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is a high grade tumor that morphologically and biologically is between atypical carcinoids and small cell carcinoma. A knowledge of the radiologic findings of these tumors allows an appropriate differential diagnosis and can help avoid diagnostic pitfalls.

Keyword

Lung neoplasms; Lung neoplasms, CT

MeSH Terms

Carcinoid Tumor
Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine*
Carcinoma, Small Cell
Diagnosis, Differential
Incidence
Lung Neoplasms
Neoplasm Metastasis
Prognosis