EXCEPTIONAL OUTCOME OF A METASTATIC NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOR

Introduction. - Neuroendocrine tumors are rare, with poor prognosis wh en not or poorly differentiated Exegesis. - The authors report the cas e of a patient who presented with a metastatic poorly differentiated n euroendocrine tumor that was resistant to chemotherapy. The different sires of the carcinoma were lung, pancreas, kidney and lymph nodes. Th e patient received no treatment and complete spontaneous remission app eared after 21 months. This remission has been lasting for five years. Conclusion. - It is the first case of spontaneous remission of a meta static poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. The evolution and c lassical sires of neuroendocrine tumors are reviewed. Renal metastasis is also unusual. This report illustrates the fact that neuroendocrine tumors are heterogenous. (C) 1998, Elsevier, Paris.