Published online Sep 24, 2024. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v15.i9.1239
Revised: May 26, 2024
Accepted: June 12, 2024
Published online: September 24, 2024
Processing time: 129 Days and 16.2 Hours
Bladder neuroendocrine tumors are few and exhibit a high degree of aggressiveness. The bladder is characterized by four distinct forms of neuroendocrine tumors. Among them, large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is the least prevalent, but has the highest level of aggressiveness. The 5-year survival rate for large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the bladder is exceedingly poor. To date, only a few dozen cases have been reported.
Here, we report the case of a 65-year-old man with large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the bladder. The patient presented to the Department of Urology at our hospital due to the presence of painless hematuria without any identifiable etiology. During hospitalization, abdominal computed tomography revealed the presence of an irregular mass on the right anterior wall of the bladder. A cystoscopic non-radical resection of the bladder lesion was performed. The postoperative pathological examination revealed large-cell neuroendocrine bladder cancer. Previous reports on cases of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma cases were retrieved from PubMed, and the present paper discusses the currently recognized best diagnostic and treatment options for large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma based on the latest research progress.
Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the bladder is an uncommon malignancy with a highly unfavorable prognosis. Despite ongoing efforts to prolong patient survival through multidisciplinary therapy, the prognosis remains unfavorable. Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma continues to be a subject of uncertainty.
Core Tip: This report presents a case of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the bladder. This tumor is extremely rare and has been poorly reported in the medical literature, highlighting the need for early diagnosis and multimodal treatment. The report emphasizes that, although large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is clinically rare, it is extremely aggressive. Most patients have a very poor prognosis, although spontaneous remission is possible. There is thus considerable uncertainty surrounding this tumor.