A case of neuroendocrine carcinoma developing from the broad ligament of the uterus

Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), also called small cell carcinoma or large cell carcinoma, is a rare and aggressive tumor that develops mainly in the lung and intestine. More rarely, NEC develops in gynecologic organs, with poor prognoses. We experienced a case of NEC in the broad ligament of the uterus. The patient was a 74-year-old woman with symptoms of abdominal distension and constipation. Ultrasound sonography detected an abdominal tumor larger than 10 cm. She was then admitted to our hospital. She underwent surgery under the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, but the bilateral ovaries and uterus were normal in appearance, and a tumor was developing instead from the broad ligament of the uterus. The patient then received a hysterectomy, salpingo- oophorectomies, and lymphadenectomy, and the peritoneal membrane was stripped around the pelvic space. Despite our suggestion, she never accepted the adjuvant treatment. She discontinued her periodic follow-up with us and was followed in another hospital. Generally, the prognosis of NEC is poor, and there is no established treatment for a tumor in a gynecologic lesion. However, we anticipate that the accumulation of experience treating such cases will eventually lead to a standard treatment for NEC.