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Case Report: Unusual Presentation of Aggressive Neuroendocrine Tumor

Abstract

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare neoplasms that occur in 1 out of 100,000 people in the United States and can occur in any body tissue, although most commonly located in the lung and small intestine. They arise from various neuroendocrine cells and, while many are benign, malignant cases are reported. While NETs are known to excessively produce hormones, 50% of NETs are non-functional in nature and clinically silent.1,2 This feature can allow the tumor to grow to massive sizes or metastasize to other organs, making early recognition and treatment difficult and dramatically changing prognosis. It is reported that 40-93% of gastrointestinal NETs metastasize to the liver.1 The following report is a rare case of a massive metastatic liver neuroendocrine tumor found incidentally in a 47-year-old gentleman who presented to the emergency department complaining of seizures. The pathophysiology, etiology, and treatment options for metastatic liver tumor from NETs will be discussed.