Mixed ductal-endocrine carcinoma of the pancreas - A case study with mixedductal-endocrine metastasis double labeled for cytokeratin 19 and synaptophysin

We describe herein a case of a mixed ductal-endocrine pancreatic carcinoma. Rare cases of mixed pancreatic tumors have been described, with endocrine and exocrine components each making up a significant proportion of the neop lasm; to our knowledge, only one case has been reported with a mixed liver metastasis. In our case, ductal and endocrine cells were intimately admired in the primary tumor and in a peripancreatic lymph node metastasis, diagno sed by standard light microscopy and double immunostaining for cytokeratin 19 and synaptophysin. The endocrine component was immunoreactive for somato statin. Tumors with admired endocrine and exocrine components support the h ypothesis of a common endodermal histogenesis for the ductal and endocrine cells in the human pancreas.