Mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract

Mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract are rare neop lasms, which have been reported in the literature mainly as case reports an d have been designated with a various and rather confusing terminology. In this review, on the basis of personally studied cases and of the analysis o f cases reported in the literature, we have tried to identify types of mixe d endocrine-exocrine tumors showing different clinicopathologic and biologi cal characteristics. We have also tried to group the different clinicopatho logic entities in prognostic classes which include: benign, low-grade, inte rmediate grade, and high-grade malignant mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors. T he criteria for identifying the various types of mixed endocrine-exocrine t umors are extensively discussed. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Compan y.