Abstract
A 52-year-old man suffering from a pure-type primary gastric small cell carcinoma was treated with surgery and combination chemotherapy. The small cell carcinoma, approximately 6.5 cm in diameter, was situated in the posterior wall of the antrum and there were no distant metasatses. Total gastrectomy and regional lymph node dissection was carried out. Histological examination revealed a solid pattern of proliferation of small cells with hyperchromatic, round nuclei and scant cytoplasm. Neoplastic cells infiltrated into the subserosal layer with severe lymphatic and vascular invasion. Regional lymph node cells were mostly replaced by tumor cells that stained positive for Grimelius, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and synaptophysin. Accumulations of electron-dense core granules in the small neoplastic cells were seen by electron microscopy. Following surgery, the patient was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin and etoposide. The patient is alive and recurrence free 3 years after surgical operation. We review 107 published cases of primary gastric small cell carcinoma, an extremely rare disease first reported in 1976. Small cell carcinoma is an aggressive, malignant tumor. Intensive chemotherapy is essential for patient survival even when curative surgical resection is carried out.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
T Matsusaka H Watanabe M Enjoji (1976) ArticleTitleOat-cell carcinoma of the stomach Fukuoka Acta Med 67 65–73 Occurrence Handle177344 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:CSmC28nksVU%3D
K Kaketani Y Mitarai K Zeze A Kuwahara T Saito M Kobayashi (1987) ArticleTitleTwo cases of oat cell carcinoma of the stomach (in Japanese with English abstract) Nippon Rinnsyogeka Igakukai Zasshi (J Jpn Soc Clin Surg) 48 1687–1692
T Matsui M Kataoka Y Sugita T Itoh T Ichihara M Horisawa A Koide S Ichihara A Nakao (1977) ArticleTitleA case of small cell carcinoma of the stomach Hepato-Gastroenterology 44 156–160
H Tanemura H Ohshita A Kanno M Kusakabe E Tomita Y Nishigaki A Sugiyama T Yamada (2002) ArticleTitleA patient with small-cell carcinoma of the stomach with long survival after percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) for liver metastasis Int J Clin Oncol 7 128–132 Occurrence Handle12018111
S Kusayanagi K Konishi N Miyasaka K Sasaki T Kurahashi K Kaneko Y Akita N Yoshikawa M Kusano T Yamochi M Kushima K Mitamura (2003) ArticleTitlePrimary small cell carcinoma of the stomach J Gastroenterol Hepatol 18 743–747 Occurrence Handle12753162 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1440-1746.2003.02822.x
K Matsui M Kitagawa A Miwa Y Kuroda M Tsuji (1991) ArticleTitleSmall cell carcinoma of the stomach: a clinicopathologic study of 17 cases Am J Gastroenterol 86 1167–1175 Occurrence Handle1715667 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By6A2MzltV0%3D
KJ Ho GA Herrera JM Jones CB Alexander (1984) ArticleTitleSmall cell carcinoma of the esophagus: evidence for a unified histogenesis Hum Pathol 15 460–468 Occurrence Handle6327495 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BiuB3M%2FlsFQ%3D
AM Hussein CL Otrakji BT Hussein (1990) ArticleTitleSmall cell carcinoma of the stomach: case report and review of the literature Dig Dis Sci 35 513–518 Occurrence Handle2156662 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01536928 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By%2BB3c%2FmvFc%3D
M Osaka J Soga T Suzuki Y Tamiya (1997) ArticleTitleThe significance of endocrine cells observed in ordinary carcinomas of the stomach: some considerations of the concept of atypical carcinoids evaluated at light microscopic and ultrastructural levels Med Electron Microsc 30 154–162 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01545317
M Iwafuchi H Sato H Watanabe (1995) ArticleTitleEarly endocrine cell carcinoma of the stomach and rectum Endosc Dig 7 275–284
T Fukuda Y Ohnishi T Nishimaki H Ohtani S Tachikawa (1988) ArticleTitleEarly gastric cancer of the small cell type Am J Gastroenterol 83 1176–1179 Occurrence Handle2844080 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BieA3sflvVU%3D
KJ O'Byrne AK Cherukuri MI Khan RJ Farrell PA Daly EC Sweeney PWN Keeling (1997) ArticleTitleExtrapulmonary small cell gastric carcinoma. A case report and review of the literature Acta Oncol 36 78–80 Occurrence Handle9090972 Occurrence Handle10.3109/02841869709100738
B Shank H Scher BS Hilaris C Pinsky M Martin RE Wittes (1985) ArticleTitleIncreased survival with high-dose multifield radiotherapy and intensive chemotherapy in limited small cell carcinoma of the lung Cancer (Phila) 56 2771–2778 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BimD38jmslw%3D
Y Ohmura W Takiyama K Mandai T Doi Y Nishikawa (1997) ArticleTitleSmall cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a case report Jpn J Clin Oncol 27 95–100 Occurrence Handle9152798 Occurrence Handle10.1093/jjco/27.2.95 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByiB1Mjjt10%3D
F Inoue O Nishida T Mizumoto H Furukawa T Saiga (1996) ArticleTitleSmall cell carcinoma of the stomach: report of a case (in Japanese with English abstract) Stomach Intest (Tokyo) 31 797–801
H Ohnishi M Kato M Okido M Nakagaki (1997) ArticleTitleAn early small cell carcinoma of the stomach: report of a case (in Japanese with English abstract) Nippon Rinnsyogeka Igakukai Zasshi (J Jpn Soc Clin Surg) 58 1040–1043
F Futagami K Asano A Matsumura I Ohhori M Sasaki E Kawahara (1999) ArticleTitleA case of small cell carcinoma of the stomach with multiple liver and lung metastases successfully treated by combined chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide (in Japanese with English abstract) Gan to Kagakuryoho (Jpn J Cancer Chemother) 26 149–152 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1M7ktF2rtA%3D%3D
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Namikawa, T., Kobayashi, M., Okabayashi, T. et al. Primary gastric small cell carcinoma: report of a case and review of the literature. Med Mol Morphol 38, 256–261 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00795-005-0293-4
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00795-005-0293-4