One Case of Malignant Neuroepithelioma of Gallbladder

Yasuaki Nakajima, Shigeru Yamazaki, Katsunori Ami, Michio Iida and Hideo Sakuma^*

Department of Surgery, Ohta Nishinouchi Hospital
Department of Pathology, Ohta Nishinouchi Hospital^*

One case of malignant neuroepithelioma of the gallbladder that made rapid growth after the operation is described. An 84-year-old woman with right hypochondrial pain underwent abdominal ultrasonography, which revealed a gallbladder mass, so she was admitted to our hospital, and examined thoroughly. Computed tomography demonstrated a hypervascular gallbladder tumor 70×50×80 mm in size, and numerous metastatic hepatoduodenal ligament lymph nodes with suspected to invasion to the duodenum and pancreatic head. Resection of the main tumor and lymphadenectomy of the swelling metastatic nodes were performed. Pathologically, the tumor was diagnosed as malignant neuroepithelioma. Two months after the operation, jaundice and ascites were noted. Abdominal computed tomography disclosed swelling of the metastatic hepatoduodenal ligament lymph nodes, liver metastasis, and carcinomatous ascites. Radiotherapy to the metastatic lymph nodes was performed and proved very effective, but the patient died from the rapid growth of the liver metastasis foci and peritoneal dissemination only four months after the operation. The combination of operation, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are recommended to treat this rare disease and to improve its poor-prognosis.

Key words
neuroepithelioma, gallbladder tumor

Reprint requests
Yasuaki Nakajima 1st Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519 JAPAN

Accepted
January 26, 2000

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