Primary salivary gland neuroendocrine carcinoma with multidisciplinary insights.
Y Han, Y Zhang, X Zhang et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A 68-year-old man was diagnosed with primary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the parotid. PET-CT showed two hypermetabolic nodules confined to the gland, with no distant metastasis. Histopathology and immunohistochemical profiling confirmed high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma, with a Ki-67 index >40%. He underwent total parotidectomy with immediate facial nerve grafting, followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. No recurrence or metastasis was observed at 4-month follow-up.
What made this case unusual
Primary parotid LCNEC is exceptionally uncommon; the report notes fewer than 30 cases. Imaging identified two hypermetabolic nodules confined to the gland.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Diagnosis in this case relied on integrating PET-CT findings with histopathology and immunohistochemical profiling to identify primary parotid LCNEC and assess for distant disease.