Mixed carcinoid-adenocarcinoma of the liver

A 61-year-old man with a mixed carcinoid-adenocarcinoma of the liver is described. Microscopic examination of the lesion showed a differentiated adenocarcinoma with distinct carcinoid components that stained positively for argyrophil. The tumor cells contained serotonin granules on immunohistochemical studies. Detailed examination disclosed no primary tumor in the gastrointestinal tract or in any other organ. Resection was considered impractical because there were multiple tumors. The patient received chemotherapy six times (cisplatin 60 mg/m2, epirubicin 40 mg/ m2 per month). The multiple tumors gradually shrank. At the time of this writing, the patient is still alive. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of mixed carcinoid-adenocarcinoma of the liver.