A rare occurrence of a poorly differentiated large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the gallbladder: A case report and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION: Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the gallbladder is a rare entity with much of the surgical strategy and management mirroring that of adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder. In contrast to gallbladder adenocarcinoma, however, it tends to be a more aggressive and lethal malignancy associated with a short survival after the time of diagnosis. Furthermore, due to its rarity, there are no consensus guidelines for its management. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present the case of a 73-year-old female who presented with acute cholecystitis and was found to have a poorly differentiated large cell NEC of the gallbladder after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. She was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and has shown no evidence of cancer recurrence on three-year follow up. DISCUSSION: Surgical resection is the cornerstone of curative treatment for gallbladder NEC. Management may include simple cholecystectomy, extended cholecystectomy, radical cholecystectomy, or palliative cholecystectomy. It is unclear whether lymphadenectomy confers a survival benefit. Adjuvant chemotherapy with platinum-based regimens, on the other hand, has been associated with increased survival rates. Radiation, immunotherapy, somatostatin analogs and targeted therapy have also been used for treatment. CONCLUSION: NEC of the gallbladder is extremely rare, aggressive, and carries a dismal prognosis. Further studies are needed to develop the optimal treatment approach to increase survival rates and establish best practices to manage these patients.