A subcentimeter duodenal neuroendocrine neoplasm with a liver metastasis upgraded to G3: a case report

BACKGROUND: Although duodenal neuroendocrine neoplasms (DuNENs) usually have indolent phenotypes, some DuNENs exhibit aggressive clinical manifestations. Tumor size > 1 cm, lymph node metastasis, and high grade have been associated with poor prognosis. However, preoperative risk evaluation is often difficult, because Ki-67 index on biopsy is frequently underestimated due to the intratumor heterogeneity. Here, we present a case of a subcentimeter DuNEN with a low Ki-67 index on endoscopic biopsy, who developed lymph node metastasis and high-grade liver metastasis. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 52-year-old female who presented an epigastric pain. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a duodenal submucosal lesion with a size of 8 mm. The endoscopic biopsy showed DuNEN with a Ki-67 index of 3.3% (G2 categorized by the World Health Organization 2019 classification). We performed an open partial duodenectomy with adjacent lymph node dissection. Pathological examination of the resected specimens revealed a Ki-67 index of 13.5% (G2) in the “hot spot” and lymph node metastasis. A hepatic low-density area detected on preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography appeared to be a liver metastasis on postoperative gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Subsequently, we performed a laparoscopic partial hepatectomy. Pathological examination of the liver specimen showed a metastatic neuroendocrine tumor with a Ki-67 index of 27.5% (NET-G3). The patient has been alive for 14 months since the hepatectomy. CONCLUSIONS: This case shows the possibility of high malignant potential of DuNEN even if the primary lesion is < 1 cm and has a low Ki-67 index on biopsy.