Adenocarcinoma of the colon with neuroendocrine features and secretory diarrhea

• Published in: The American journal of gastroenterology Vol. 94; no. 6; pp. 1692 - 1694
• Main Authors: Lew, Edward A, Lewin, Klaus J, Zarchy, Thomas, Pisegna, Joseph R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford . 01-06-1999; Blackwell Publishing
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - complications; Adenocarcinoma - metabolism; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - secondary; Biological and medical sciences; Chromogranin A; Chromogranins - metabolism; Colonic Neoplasms - complications; Colonic Neoplasms - metabolism; Colonic Neoplasms - pathology; Diarrhea - etiology; Fatal Outcome; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurosecretory Systems - pathology; Staining and Labeling; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Tumors; Adenocarcinoma; Human; Diarrhea; Malignant tumor; Colonic disease; Case study; Functional; Signet ring cell; Symptomatology; Chemotherapy; Analog; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Colon; Diagnosis; Somatostatin; Neuroendocrine tumor
• ISSN: 0002-9270; 1572-0241
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.1999.01167.x

We report the case of a 63-yr-old man who had severe secretory diarrhea associated with colonic adenocarcinoma, with a prominent signet ring cell component and numerous endocrine cells as demonstrated by positive chromogranin-A staining. Improvement in the secretory diarrhea by the somatostatin analog Sandostatin suggested that the diarrhea was related to a functional neuroendocrine tumor within the colonic tumor, the first case to be reported in the literature.